Days of Distraction | Archie

[Esther Garnet]

Continued on from here

Esther had to get out of the house and clear her head. After escaping whatever weird vibes were emulating inside the flat with Alfie and Alora and then leaving abruptly, she wandered over to the Hog’s Head carrying her emotions like they were a full glass of water, walking slowly and carefully so she wouldn’t spill any of it.

What had happened back there was so weird that she was barely wrapping her head around it. Alfie was having some kind of cosy date night on the couch unbeknownst to her, then when she came home she was met with a seriously bizarre reception. The part that stung the most was the uneasy reaction her presence seemed to elicit from her best friend. She hadn’t known Alora for super long, but she’d picked up that she could be a bit awkward at times, especially in the past when they were first getting to know each other, not to mention she was really the main one being put into an uncomfortable position so she couldn’t really blame her, could she? But for Alfie, it was pretty out of character. Usually he was pretty happy to see her?

This was probably the closest thing to rejection that Esther had ever experienced in her life, so maybe it was just an ego bruising. Or maybe there was more to it than that. Regardless, even trying to break the ice with a joke or two only seemed to increase the awkward atmosphere, so Esther did what she did best in life and that was to just run away from the situation.

On her way to the pub, almost on autopilot, she called on her friend and colleague to invite them for a Friday knock off. Never one to allow themselves to sit alone with their feelings, Esther’s strategy was to distract herself with some reliably enjoyable company. Archie had become a pretty good friend since her return to the UK - a pretty good friend with benefits, too - and it seemed appropriate somehow to call on him to use in conjunction with a technique many refer to as avoidance.

Entering the pub, she took a seat in a booth, ordered a wine and waited for him to arrive.

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[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Archie didn’t think twice after receiving the invitation. Aside from the benefits of their friendship, Archie genuinely enjoyed Esther’s company. They were friends, after all. And he found it easy to relax since the only expectation was that there were none. If his childhood had taught him anything, it was from watching and hearing about his father, so Archie had no issue communicating and expressing where he stood. He didn’t want the drama, let alone be the cause of it. And he needed the break.

He’d spent the last few months on schedules, organizing classes, and dealing with staffing issues. The school was still new, but the Spring term brought a lot of work as trainee exams were to be administered. Archie apparated into the village, normally, he would have walked from the school, but he’d dropped by to see his aunt and sister in Horizont Alley. And the Hog’s Head was small, so he found her easily after walking in. But then again, Esther certainly stood out among the usual crowd here.

With a grin, he slid into his seat. ”Did you just leave the school?” Archie had noted several staff members staying later than usual that day. At least among the Professors that essentially lived in their offices. But that was the life, especially for the full-time staff. In fact, that night was probably one of the few where Archie left at a reasonable time.

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[Esther Garnet]

Esther grinned back at the man as he slid into the booth opposite her. Being as busy as they both were with their current workloads meant there was less time for bumping into each other on campus than there was opportunity to catch up outside of school grounds. She was well aware of the responsibilities that Archie had on his plate at the moment, so aside from the obvious reasons, he seemed like the most deserving person of a break after a long week that she knew of. His friendly demeanour gave her an instant serotonin boost after what had just occurred back at the flat so she was thankful for that.

“Kinda… I popped home first but Alfie had company…” she stated with a comical roll of the eye. The intention was to make it seem like it hadn’t been a big deal, whether it fell flat in translation or not would be up to Archie to observe on his own. “Thought I’d better make myself scarce and get out of their hair.”

Just as she’d said it, her wine was delivered to the table and the final element of operation distraction was complete. It probably wasn’t healthy, but the combination of a good looking man and a glass of alcohol were two of Esther’s main coping strategies. Put those together and add them to a dingy pub and she was really in her element now. Much better!

“You want one?” she asked him before the bartender went to leave. “Promise I’m not looking for any trouble,” she assured him playfully as she took a sip.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

He supposed there was a benefit to the rare occasion their late hours at work overlapped. During all his years teaching at Hogwarts before the fire, Archie had seen Professors in flings or short-lived relationships. Gossip in the staff rooms was not unheard of. In some ways, they hadn’t been that different from their teenage students. Though he always found it amusing that the students thought they were being sneaky. For example, in the midnight Quidditch matches, Archie and Alfie typically sit off to the side, observing from a comfortable distance with some beers for company.

And Archie was a man who was not blind, although he’d managed to avoid any trouble or serious drama in all those years. And with how busy he was these days, he couldn’t say he minded the distraction at times. Even if they were just chatting, it was good to see her. He watched her eye roll, her eyes moving away from his own but not in her usual playful way. But Archie didn’t mention it. Maybe she was just being dramatic. Still, he slightly cringed but not seriously. ”Nobody likes being the third wheel.” Really, nobody did. But since it was Alfie, Archie figured he could joke a bit. ”Though I can’t say I’ve ever been third wheel to a plant.”

Archie couldn’t hold back his grin. It had been some time since he’d seen his friend. They’d seen each other more often as Professors, but such was life. Wine was brought to the table, forcing Archie to look away to see who had approached. ”Sure.” Wine wasn’t whiskey, so Archie could handle it much better. Though his face didn’t hide his disbelief, she was so innocent. The bartender left to retrieve the drink. Had they ordered a bottle, he supposed a glass could have been summoned. Archie looked back at Esther, forcing himself not to talk about work or at least avoid it for five minutes. ”Have you had a chance to stop by the Pi Patisserie?” Archie often brought baked goods from his family’s bakery in Horizont Alley, though he wasn’t shy about telling people about it either. His younger sister was gifted and blessed with somehow producing the best muffins, cookies, pies, or whatever you wanted. If only they hadn’t jumped on the Spellbucks coffee train, it was almost perfect.

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[Esther Garnet]

Ew. ‘Third wheel’. The term kinda stung but he wasn’t exactly off. Esther mirrored his cringe and shuddered dramatically and then laughed at his poke at Alfie being on a date with a plant. It was ironic that in that moment Alora might as well have been a plant, if the plant in question was a shrinking violet. “You’re telling me” she mused with a pointed pop of her brows. This time her typical dry sense of humour was more apparent as she relaxed into this new setting.

She was pleased when Archie agreed to a wine, and she had a similar thought that she should have just ordered a bottle, but the night was young and there was plenty of time for that!

“Oh, yeah… That place is dangerous.” Esther rested her elbows on the table and leaned in feigning an air of seriousness as she replied to him. “Your sister bakes all that stuff, right? Tell her I’ve reported her to the Ministry for attempted murder of my waist line.” Esther maintained a straight face pretending as if she honestly considered it a crime how good the pastries were at that joint. “Unless you bought me a cookie, Archie. I’ll drop the charges if you did?”


octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Esther seemed bothered by what happened with Alfie, but Archie was still trying to determine if it were a mere annoyance or something that weighed far greater. In any case, a laugh was never a bad idea. And he supposed visitors in one’s home after a long day wasn’t always ideal either. It made Archie grateful he had his own flat and his own space. Somewhere to escape or purposefully invite people. But he now had the mental image of Alfie hanging out with some potted plant on his couch, though he couldn’t imagine what kind of plant. Herbology had not been one of Archie’s strong subjects and thankfully not required for Cursebreaking.

He raised an eyebrow slightly at her response. ”Allegedly.” Archie responded to her question. If a crime were involved, he was not about to incriminate his younger sister. He gave her a serious look before leaning in slightly and sighing. ”I had intended…” Archie trailed off. ”But I, too, fell victim.” Honestly, nobody should ever expect Archie to bring anything from his Aunt’s shop uneaten successfully. ”Her own brother.” He lamented, shaking his head. But he couldn’t stop himself from grinning, and the bartender reappeared with Archie’s glass of wine. Only Merlin knew what made those treats special, or perhaps they were just riding the sugar high. He sipped the wine. A much better choice than whiskey. He made a mental note to pass along the compliments to Nova.

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[Esther Garnet]

Esther’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape, feigning shock as Archie explained why he hadn’t bought any baked goods with him to the pub. He had eaten them all himself, and she couldn’t blame him! He started shaking his head and her hands fell flat on the table before crossing her arms in front of her playing along, and simply stated: “Outrageous.”

His wine arrived at the table and Esther looked up to smile at the waiter and then turned her attention back to Archie. “Last time I tried to bake cookies I almost set the kitchen on fire,” she admitted, the corners of her lips pulling into a smirk. Being the daughter of a very busy single mother as a child meant that she hadn’t really mastered the art of domestication at an early age because it was never handed down to her. Esther was only sixteen when her mum passed away, and once she’d graduated from Ilvermorney she was forced to become painfully independent and learn those kinds of life skills on her own. Unfortunately baking hadn’t been a thing she’d ever really grasped.

“What are your skills like in the kitchen anyway? Does it run in the family?” She asked out of curiosity. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve never invited me over for dinner” she added teasingly, not that she’d ever really thought of it before - of course she had no expectations of anything like that.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Archie had never struggled to make friends. He supposed that was a Vector family trait if one looked at his father and Aunt. He supposed that was one of the difficulties of the Cursebreaker's life. Despite all the connections and close friendships, you hardly ever worked with large groups. It had made Archie fidgety, even unfocused at times. Like he was struggling to fill the silence with something that wasn’t his thoughts. Joining the teaching staff after years at the Museum was perfect in that regard. Staff members came and went, but there was always someone to talk to, plus the mass of teenagers they were responsible for.

So, suffice it to say that the invitation for a drink arrived, and he was pleased. Working as much as he was pushed into his social life. And he was human and needed to blow off some steam from time to time. They lamented their shared pain of addictive baked goods. Oh, how they suffered so terribly. He put his glass back on the table, deciding it probably wasn’t a good look to drink an entire glass all at once. He raised a curious eyebrow. ”I leave the baking to my sister and Aunt.” He admitted. They’d gotten frustrated with him as he focused on the ingredients' measurements while Nova literally measured nothing, insisting he was taking too long.

But he may not have his sister’s talent, but he thought he could hold his own. ”Everything else, however…” Archie paused a bit for effect. As a boy, he’d learned a thing or two, plus his Aunt needed to keep him busy. In hindsight, she was probably just trying to help Archie focus on literally anything while waiting for the visit or letter from his father that never occurred. ”You’re welcome to find out sometime.” Such an invitation was easy to misconstrue, but friends could have dinner, right? ”Or at least if you ever get kicked out of your flat again.”

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[Esther Garnet]

Archie implied that he knew his way around a kitchen which for some reason didn’t surprise Esther, and if she hadn’t just essentially invited herself over to test the theory then he had certainly done it on the back of her prompt. He even joked that she could come around the next time she was kicked out of her flat and Esther rolled her eyes, “Yeah, well I might just take you up on that..” she followed that statement with a good gulp of her wine glass leaving it close to being finished.

“If you’re really that good at cooking, how come you haven’t been snapped up yet, hmm?” Her tone was rather curious although still playful. The woman had seen it over recent years, one by one her friends and peers meeting that special someone and settling down, eventually fading into Esther’s version of obscurity. It seemed to be the thing that most people wanted in life, and the blonde had started feeling like there might be something wrong with her for never having consciously pined for those same things. Hell, it could even be happening to Alfie right now as they spoke! He had a woman over at the house for a cosy date and Esther couldn’t remember a time where that had ever happened, not at that level of comfort, not that she’d witnessed at least. The thought of Alfie taking off into the sunset with Alora and fading into obscurity made her feel physically ill for a fleeting moment for some reason.

After a short pause while she internally pondered those things, she seemed to snap back into the conversation. “Heaps of women love men who can cook.” She stated matter-of-factly with a cool nod of the head, like she was some kind of expert on the subject - which she absolutely was not. “Probably too busy with the fifty jobs you do at school for any of that, huh?”

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Archie raised a curious eyebrow. He got the sense that Esther expected this to happen again. Which probably meant that whatever was going on with Alfie and this mystery person (or plant) was quite serious. ”Sounds serious.” He commented, sipping his own wine. Probably best to pace himself at least a little bit. For now. ”I mean, I know how important his plants are to him…” He couldn’t help but chuckle. There was no chance at keeping a straight face at that one. Drinking more wine, he realized that the glass didn’t hold that much at all. Or he’d drunk it much faster than intended.

Since Alfie switched careers, Archie saw less of him. They kept in touch, but not like before. Proximity was important to a social life, at least to a point. In any case, Archie still considered him a friend. But the focus shifted on Archie now, Esther asking the question he’d heard more often the older he got. Mostly his Aunt’s friends or regulars at the shop. The ones that never failed to remind Archie and Nova how they recall them as children. Usually he took the compliment and changed the subject, but if he was being honest with himself he didn’t have an answer. But, as always, he kept his relaxed demeanor.

His Aunt never married, Nova hardly dated and apparently neither did he. It seemed his father had dated, married and philandered enough for all of them for a lifetime. Archie gave a light shrug. ”I’ve always been busy working, I guess.” Dating was incredibly difficult for Cursebreakers, although after leaving he didn’t have that excuse anymore. Out of all his flings and relationships, none seemed to stick long term although Archie knew he was a guarded person no matter how outwardly friendly he was. But he had to nod in agreement as he responded. ”Yes, the job description was very vague.” If there even was one. The system had changed so much, hence all the work on his plate. His plan was to hopefully persuade or find retired Cursebreakers to help teach and train or other qualified individuals. But that would take much time.

”What about you? Not interested in settling down?” It seemed fair to return the question. He had no doubt that the offers had gone her way, she was incredibly attractive after all and fun to be around. Although he got the sense that neither of them considered themselves hopeless romantics. At least they could ask these questions without the awkwardness.

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[Esther Garnet]

Nodding, the woman gave him a kind of sympathetic smile. It was true Archie’s workload was pretty excessive. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance was one of humanity's greatest challenges, and it wasn’t fair when so much responsibility fell on one person. Esther could complain about how her responsibilities had increased exponentially since the restructure, but not in front of Archie. That would just be cruel, not to mention completely tone deaf.

Esther should have expected the question to be flipped back on her, but she was still mildly taken aback by it. She paused for a moment, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips and she chuckled softly through a soft exhale through her nostrils. Her gaze wandered from his to the empty wine glass in front of her to buy some time, but luckily just as he’d asked, the waiter was walking by and so Esther grabbed his attention by raising her hand off the table and giving him a little wave. “Excuse me? Could we get a bottle please?” she asked before smiling sweetly at him “Thanks!”

She was probably too sober for this conversation, but the interesting thing was that in the past, she wouldn’t even hesitate to shrug off the idea of ‘settling down’ if someone had proposed the concept to her. She was classically trained to view romantic relationships and monogamy and settling down and giving so much of yourself to another person as a whole bunch of nonsense and a waste of time. But these days she questioned those lessons her mother had passed down to her as a child. She had kind of started to regret how hardened she had become as a person, how closed off she was to the idea of love. Maybe she would eventually pay the price for that, which would be the price of missing out on something good.

Underneath it all, there were a plethora of deep seated insecurities harboured that she’d seemingly inherited, not that anyone would have ever guessed it giving the air of confidence she maintained at all times. Being half Veela came with some perks when it came to recreational one night stands, but in other ways it was a disadvantage. Sometimes it was unwanted attention, but it was mostly in how others perceived her. There was judgement, the assumption that she had gotten to where she was because of it, or the fear that the people who she knew really only liked her for what she was and not who she was…

“Nah, I don’t think I’m cut out for all that stuff,” she told him casually. “Plus I’d probably get bored,” she added with a wink and a grin just to sprinkle her response with a touch of playfulness in case she’d accidentally conveyed a bit too much seriousness there with her introspection. 

octavian archimedes vector jr. 

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Despite everything, Archie did enjoy his work. He could still remember when the idea floated into his mind of switching to teaching. When his father died, a lot shifted for him, some for better and some for worse. Overall, Archie couldn’t say he’d resolved all that stuff—whatever it was called. Even before, he hadn’t known what to do with himself sometimes. But then he’d stood in front of that classroom—Arithmancy was not the most glamorous subject by any means, and then he realized he loved it. And teaching these Cursebreaker trainees had been fun and rewarding as well. Now, the Heads of Houses just had more on their plate.

His eyes remained casually on Esther as he asked the question, but she didn’t immediately respond. Still, she went for the most important thing and requested a bottle since their glasses were quickly empty. Archie had never been one to shy away from questions, although deflecting particular personal ones was a talent he’d gained early on. And maybe he just didn’t think about dating as much since Nova had remarked something about being like their dad when he’d caught her on a terrible day. That wasn’t true, of course, and Nova had quickly taken that back. ”We can’t let life get too boring.”

Even as a student, Archie had found his fun. Not even the Prefect badge on his chest had stopped him. Not that the Professors ever caught on. And it was certainly not boring. He thought of Esther’s earlier question. It was certainly true that a man possessing certain skills became a kind of magnet. ”I don’t think everything needs a label. Life is complicated enough.” Archie had spent years trying to sort through complex feelings, but his brain couldn’t separate the various layers of deep-seated fears of rejection and abandonment how Archie worked so hard to find some self-worth in it all. There was something to be said of feeling replaceable. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay on this track of questioning, but it was certainly easier with Esther or even Ivy than with others. The bartender returned with their wine just as Archie finished his glass.

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[Esther Garnet]

Archie told her that he didn’t think it was necessary to put a label on something like a relationship. Esther’s mouth dropped open and she pointed a finger at him instantaneously. “Ex-ACT-ly!” she exclaimed in agreement, giving him one single nod of her head, but it was teeming with enthusiasm, enough for a thousand spirited nods!

Esther had historically liked to think that she didn’t need the validation of another person to make her feel better about herself. She didn’t need attachment, commitment, the responsibility of another person. To always be accountable, for someone to know where she was and who she was with at all times. To be the sum of a part instead of one’s whole self. Esther had always been adamant that she would never be a sucker for such things. She’d need a red carpet rolled out in front of her in order to walk into love. It was funny that she was starting to question all of this now. Was it an existential crisis?

Regardless, for a moment there, she felt her beliefs confirmed by an actual other person. She even forgot that the idea of Alfie moving on without her made her feel a lot more sick than the idea of giving herself to someone ever would. So that made her feel good. The wine that had now arrived at the table was the icing on the cake, and Archie - whom she was absolutely confident was not going to ruin this perfect situationship by catching feels - he was the cherry on top. Esther was really nailing her avoidance routine on the top of the head with this winning combination!

She started to fill their glasses up. “Never change, Archie. Never change.” She used a joking tone alongside a deadpan expression, but she was definitely grateful for him, especially in this moment. She’d be disappointed when he inevitably moved on some day. Happy to see him happy, for sure. But at the same time: disappointed. In her experience, people always moved on, eventually.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

you got a new horizon,

its ephemeral style

February 2028
Esther Garnet

Archie’s views were not unique or uncommon, but he had little luck typically finding common ground within his social circles. Many of his older colleagues were married and had families, and the ones still playing the field were far younger than him. He supposed he was supposed to defy society’s expectations as his father had but in a less infamous way. Archie recalled one relationship that had teetered on the edge of seriousness, but the drama that had come along with it hadn’t been worth it in his mind.

Someone who knew Archie well might say that entering a committed relationship would require Archie to seek their approval, time, and attention. And years of longing for that from those in his family had left him weary and without the will to try again. At least with his work, he had control, at least outside of how many hours he could sleep. He waited for Esther to fill their glasses. He had a sense that this bottle would not last them very long.

”The only thing I ever seem to change is my career from time to time.” Archie joked, although it was the truth. However, he felt he’d found his stride with teaching. He couldn’t imagine what else there was to do that was more satisfying. ”But I think I’ll stay awhile.” He drank from his glass. After, he lightly swirled the liquid as he delicately held the stem. I was always curious about people’s fascination trying to figure out what’s in a glass of wine.” It was fascinating in the sense that it seemed silly. ”I don’t really understand it.” It was just wine. They were all here for the alcohol, weren’t they?

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[Esther Garnet]

Esther poured two very generous glasses of wine so that the bottle was immediately halfway done and took a hearty sip, raising it to her mouth carefully as Archie confirmed he never changed anything about his life aside from his career from time to time. Esther could relate to that. Aside from moving all the way to Scotland from a whole other country as a person in their early twenties, she’d never made too many dramatic changes in her own life. She nodded as she worked on making her wine glass a little less dangerous to be lifting around the place, making a good dent in it.

“Good. You’d better!” she agreed in a mock-threatening kind of way. Imagine if Archie was to announce his retirement from teaching. It was bad enough when she’d learned that Alfie had left. Now Archie was her closest ally at work which was comforting because otherwise, the mere thought of facing Alora on Monday after what had occurred in their flat tonight would have admittedly put her even more on edge.

Archie went on to make a vague comment about wine aficionados and Esther shrugged. “I mean, I know it has grapes…” she offered, “And alcohol. What else is there to care about?” In Esther’s mind, wine was wine. And it was also one of their five recommended food groups. It tasted good, but all wines did. She took another sip for emphasis.

“You got any parent-teacher meetings coming up?” she asked him. It had taken all of about 5 minutes for the conversation to steer back to their jobs. With the Cupid-a-Palooza looming, she hadn’t even taken the Valentine's Day aspect into account and instead thought straight to the fact that it might end up just being a bunch of work for many of her colleagues.

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