I Don't Wanna Talk About Love | Archie, Esther, Alfie

[Esther Garnet]

Amidst the vibrant ambience of Calan Mai and the soft strains of music mingling with the laughter of revellers, Esther had been enjoying the company of a group of colleagues from Hogwarts at the festival’s wine-tasting event over the course of the last few hours. As the others started to scatter one by one making their way to check out the other offerings that were in store across the festival, she and Archie found themselves the last two from the group standing. They sat side by side near the wine tasting booth, their glasses filled with a rich red elixir as the setting sun cast a backdrop to the scene.

"Looks like it’s just you and me, then." Esther purred, her voice carrying a hint of seductive playfulness. "This druid wine is good, right?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she glanced at Archie, a coy smile playing on her lips. Esther extended her glass towards him for a cheers, her fingers lightly brushing against his as she made the offering.

The blonde was certainly well on her way to being absolutely sozzled and it wasn’t even nightfall yet. She had almost forgotten that she was due to meet Alfie there at any moment now, with whom she had plans to stay with this weekend, and instead had focussed her attention solely on her colleague slash FWB.

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[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

i think that we talk too much

2028
Esther Garnet

The first time Archie had druid wine was years and years ago as a younger man. It must have been during his Cursebreaker training. And the timing was perfect. He’d spent the better part of the last six or seven months running himself ragged at work. Somehow, he’d gotten enough staff to prep and certify this group of Cursebreaker trainees, which had been immensely helpful. A couple had spoken to him about possibly teaching here and there at the school, and a few others Archie had eyed as candidates as well, even if they didn’t necessarily want to do it.

But he wasn’t the only busy one. All the Professors were busy this time of year. So to destress, they arrived en masse. Slowly, the group began to shrink, and Archie hadn’t noticed it was just the pair until Esther brought it up. At this point, his head felt a tad light. It wasn’t the buzz of wine but less dizzying than a strong spirit. ”It's fantastic.” Archie responded, his eyes catching hers. It was always so easy to spend time with Esther. First and foremost, they were friends and genuinely enjoyed one another’s company regardless of what they got up to. But typically, alcohol helped decide that as well.

”As is the company.” Archie was fairly certain he could still walk a straight line without issue, but even he recognized the tremendous amount of stress in his life, and that one must make time to have some fun. But the place was a tad crowded, though Archie should have expected that. As a group walked past them, he found himself much farther into Esther’s space, even after the group passed.

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[Esther Garnet]

Esther had grown very fond of the friendship that had blossomed between herself and the Arithmancy professor since her return to the school. There was the element of the no strings attached physical aspect that worked perfectly in her opinion, but the fact that she considered him a friend to truly rely on was the icing on the cake. Intellectually, they were solidly compatible and conversation was easy. Then because they worked together, there was a common understanding of the stresses of the working environment, and that’s essentially what had bought them here to the wine tasting today. To blow off some steam whilst they geared up for the weekend.

She chuckled softly as Archie found himself inching closer into her space, a playful glint in her eyes. The effects of the druid wine were making their presence known, adding a hint of mischief to her interactions. She shifted slightly, her shoulder lightly brushing against his.

Her veela charm was really only exaggerated under the influence of alcohol since it was something she was ordinarily self conscious of, and it accentuated her every movement. Leaning closer, she mused "tell me, Professor, how many more of those wines until I find you dancing around the may pole?" She joked with a flourish, gesturing towards the array of wine bottles behind them at the booth. She took a slow sip of her wine, her eyes never leaving Archie's gaze, a hint of invitation lingering in her smile.

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[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

i think that we talk too much

2028
Esther Garnet

There was something nice about the healthy mix of routine and spontaneity in Archie’s life. He still made time to see his Aunt and sister. Occasionally, he’d see his much younger siblings, although it was hard to bridge those gaps there. And then his friends, of course. Esther was certainly on that list, as well as others such as Ivy and the friends he’d reconnected with as part of rounding up additional temporary teaching staff for the Cursebreakers. And he was content with things as they were. No drama on the horizon. It was how Archie proved to himself that one could enjoy their life and have fun without going about it the way his father would have through deception and manipulation.

Archie almost choked on his wine though fortunately didn’t. ”Erm—“ He could feel his face grow a little warm. ”I’m not sure there’s enough for something so public.” He responded sheepishly, but as he looked back at Esther, he was only reminded of how beautiful she was, and his brain did that thing where it felt upside down. Casually he pretended to scope around them. ”But as to private…” He shrugged nonchalantly, meeting Esther’s eyes. Not that Archie had struggled much with confidence, but this druid wine made him brave tonight.

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[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Alfie wasn’t sure why he agreed to attend a festival thrown by Druids when they weren’t particularly fond of his type. AKA Werewolves and/or any dark creature for that matter. But the invite was extended to anyone with magic in their blood. Alfie was starting to realize now that was one of those moments when he was in a good mood at the time when he agreed to the event, but today didn’t want to go. After getting held up in the greenhouse re-potting everything for Spring, he found himself overwhelmed with abundance since the weather was getting better, so every bit of daylight was crucial. Alfie made it to the portkey and travel arrangements a bit later than expected but Alfie was positive he could find his best friend Esther at the wine tasting booth, which particularly excited Alfie as well. He loved any reason to drink or celebrate.

As Alfie mosied over to the wine tasting he got flagged down by some old students of the past who asked him to drink with him. He was far too sober for that but he purchased them several flights anyways to celebrate, taking two of the glasses for himself and mixing them like a sociopath. He dismissed himself and promised to bump into them later, which was a promise he'd surely try to forget so he wouldn't have to keep it.

Alfie almost immediately locked eyes on Esther in the wine tasting garden. She wasn't hard to find because her hair was always noticeable in a crowd for him. The only thing he couldn't help but notice was Archie was sitting very, very close to Esther and they seemed to be sharing a moment. A pinch nipped at his gut and he cocked his head to the side as if it would help him digest the scene better. Well...she had mentioned getting closer to Archie at one point, but Alfie refused to believe it was reality until his eyes seen it himself. And boy, he was seeing more than his eyes could handle already.

Knocking back the mixed wine cocktail he concocted, he set the glass on a random table before stepping over to Esther and Archie's table, hoping to ruin whatever peaceful drinking they had going for them. ”HEY, hey, hey...” he greeted like Fat Albert, taking a seat on the other side of the table of Esther and Archie so he could look at them awkwardly. His gears were surly turning as his hazel eyes looked them up and down. "Well aren't you two looking cozy..." he stated obviously, kinda like what he would do to his students in the past. Alfie feigned nonchalance but he was quite the opposite. ”People keep mentioning pole dancing but I haven't seen any strippers here...” he expressed more to himself. Alfie knew nothing about Druid culture because he stubbornly refused to learn anything about Druids when he found out they aren't fond of those who are "different".

Esther Garnet
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[Esther Garnet]

The pair’s playful banter, fueled by the effects of the druid wine, heightened the air of anticipation between them. Esther’s eyes locked on Archie’s, and a smirk played on her lips as his response hinted at the possibility of a private rendezvous. She was leaning in even closer still, just about to whisper something in his ear but before the conversation could delve further into suggestive territory, the sudden arrival of Alfie brought an abrupt halt to the charged atmosphere.

Her eyes widened first with surprise and then awkwardness at the realisation that she was actually expecting Alfie at some point and had completely forgotten. She quickly straightened up in her seat, attempting to compose herself before giving her bestie a warm greeting. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to finally join us!" Esther exclaimed, trying to sound casual, though her voice carried a slight nervousness. She shot a quick glance at Archie that was vaguely apologetic.

As Alfie took a seat, Esther pushed a flight of the wines towards him in offering. If he was going to catch up to the level they were at, he’d better get a start. When he commented on the coziness of herself and Archie, she didn’t warrant a verbal response and instead just blinked heavily at him, gave a look that warned him not to go there and then ignored it completely.

When he admitted that he hadn’t observed any strippers at the festival so far, she arched a brow looking amused. “Yeah… It’s not that kind of pole dancing, Alfie. The themes are more 'nature and spiritual balance' and less 'objectifying women', if you can picture that.” She used air quotes and an exaggeratedly serious expression to emphasize her sarcasm.

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alfie edward o'callaghan

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

i think that we talk too much

2028
Esther Garnet

For that split second, it was just Archie and Esther and their usual flirty dance of seeing how far they could push one another before the other gave in. It was not a game of winners or losers. They both always seemed to win in the end. But then, an interruption. Blinking a few times, Archie tried to think if he knew they were expecting more, but based on Esther’s glance his way, she must have forgotten as well. Archie sipped from his glass, still feeling the pink in his cheeks from the wine, mostly.

But Archie was the amiable type. ”Long time no see mate!” He exclaimed with a grin. The men had been closer when Alfie still taught herbology, but he hadn’t blamed his friend for choosing not to return to staff. ”What are you up to these days?” Merlin, it really had been a minute since they’d sat down for a proper drink, hadn’t it? These days, Archie supposed he saw Esther more because of work, which kept him busy. As far as the pole dancing was concerned, he merely shrugged in agreement with Esther. It was not certainly that type of event.

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[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Alfie noticed the apologetic look Esther sent to Archie. It was a great indicator that whatever funny business between them wasn’t just professional, or friendly. Hell, Alfie couldn’t blame Archie. Esther was smoking hot and more fun than a bundle of kittens to be around. Sitting across from them, he wished he could wedge his body between them. What a strange feeling. It was definitely time for more alcohol. Alfie listened to Esther as she gave an explanation of the Maypole, not actual pole dancing. To be fair he already knew about that but he loved to disrespect druid culture behind their backs any chance he got.. They were known werewolf haters anyways.

Shrugging his shoulders lazily, he scrunched his nose. "Nature and spiritual balance? Ha. Boooring." he snored animatedly, obviously joking before he broke into a cheeky smile. ”Next round is on me.” Alfie insisted as a worker stopped by their table to freshen their glasses of wine, offering them each an assortment of flavors. Swishing the glass a couple of times to appear that he knew what he was doing, he raised it to his nose.

”Sup Archie!” he pounded his fist with a warm greeting, offering him a kind smile. ”It’s great to see ya again, man.” Alfie stated in a genuine tone, truly meaning it. Archie was one of the few people at Hogwarts who he was closer with when he worked at the school, he made his time at the castle more bearable. Alfie was careful how he answered his "what are you up to" question because he was up to sketchier business than usual so he didn't like to talk about it with Esther at the table. "I wish I had more exciting news from my greenhouse but I've been workin like a dog.." he laughed before curiously asking, "How're you liking the updates to the school?" he asked, eyes drifting between him and Esther awkwardly. Hell, he was ready to address the elephant in the room, he wasn't sure if he was ready to make things awkward yet. Maybe after this glass of wine, then he'd be able to find some ladies adorned with flower crowns to dance with.

Esther Garnet
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[Esther Garnet]

Esther listened to Alfie's absolute roasting of the Druid’s boring activities that was accompanied by his signature cheeky smile, and a not-so-subtle hint of amusement danced in her eyes. She bought her wine glass up to her mouth to hide the smirk tugging at her lips and finished what was left in her glass without any further comment on the matter. She appreciated his playfulness, and even if it veered into disrespecting Druid culture at their own celebratory festival, he was still probably the funniest person on the planet in her eyes. And she couldn’t exactly blame him anyway.

As Alfie insisted on getting the next round, Esther raised an eyebrow and flashed a smile at his sudden generosity. "Well, if you're offering," she said plainly, leaning back in her chair and accepting a freshly poured glass of wine from the worker. She took a sip, savouring the taste, and quietly contemplated how many more of these she would be able to consume before she fell flat on her ass.

Esther watched as Alfie warmly greeted Archie, and some fleeting relief washed over her that the lingering awkwardness didn’t seem like it was going to escalate any time soon. She relaxed a little, her eyes flickering between the two men as they engaged in conversation. The night was young, and there was plenty of Druid wine to go around.

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alfie edward o'callaghan

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

i think that we talk too much

2028
Esther Garnet

”Thanks!” Archie happily responded to Alfie’s offer of the next round. The hangover the following day would likely be just as awful as when someone managed to get Archie to drink whiskey, but it was far from his mind now. Instead, he focused on that warm and tingly feeling and the beautiful woman in front of him. But that was the thing with situationships. One could never really be a third wheel, could they? ” It's…different.” Archie admitted, throwing back the rest of his glass as the refills were presented. But he shrugged. ”I don’t mind it. It's sort of fun teaching these other courses.”

Not to mention his life wasn’t all about Arithmancy anymore. The Cursebreaker-related courses reminded him of his youth and how he’d ventured down such a dangerous path in denial of what he was searching for internally. A young Archie wanted glory and recognition, but not the kind one would ever find in a cave or pyramid. ”Well—we certainly miss you.” Or at least the staff that had remained. But then suddenly, an idea popped into Archie’s brain. ”You know—you could still teach a course or two if you were so inclined.” He glanced at Alfie and then at Esther for a moment before returning to his friend. ”Plenty are doing it nowadays.” Aurors, former Cursebreakers, and even the Head of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. It was quite remarkable and required such a low level of commitment.

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[alfie edward o'callaghan]

A weird feeling was surfacing got Alfie. He couldn’t quite decipher what it was but one thing was for sure, Esther and Archie were sitting too close for his liking. Hell, why did it even matter?

Alfie drained his glass as Archie stated that his old colleagues missed him and he offered him a kind smile. ”Aw, thanks man. I miss you guys too.” he told Archie honestly, truly meaning it. There were times Alfie considered going back into teaching but ultimately he decided against it. He missed his students and the general debauchery. What he didn’t miss were students constantly killing his plants and scolding teenagers not to eat dirt.

After a brief two seconds of contemplation, he shook his head from side to side. ”Eh, it’s a no for me.” he answered honestly with an honest laugh after shrugging his shoulders lazily. ”Kind of realized teaching isn’t my passion…besides there’s only enough room for one Herbologist in those greenhouses.” he commented. The vision of Alora burrowed into his memory before briefly pushing that aside.

A waitress adorned with a flower crown filled their drinks and Alfie nearly emptied another glass, grateful for the distraction. Alfie took a glance of the two sitting before him, a curious look in his eyes already an indicator that he was going to ask something out of pocket. His hazel eyes drifted to Esther, then back to Archie, ”Soooo… ” there was a drawn out pause. ”Are you guys like ‘a thing’?” Alfie directed the question to the pair with no shame, thanks to the alcohol fueling his courage. The little devil on his shoulder was partially doing it to mess with Esther, since she technically shared they were a friends with benefits situation a couple of weeks prior while on a hike. 


Esther Garnet
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[Esther Garnet]

Esther was intrigued by Archie’s offer for Alfie to teach some classes again. She glanced back and forth between the two as Alfie seemed to consider it for a second, but then he immediately shrugged it off. “My Wing is busy enough without a guest appearance by Professor O’Callaghan, thank you very much,” she joked in Archie’s direction. Back when Alfie worked at the school with them, he was referring students to her left, right and centre. They would stage some ridiculously fake professional and rigid interactions with each other in front of the kids, then go to the Hog’s Head after work and laugh about it at the bar. Those were the days!

Her playful demeanour instantly faltered, and her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question that came next. She blinked a couple of times, caught off guard, then narrowed them into a look that seemed to ask Alfie; what the fuck are you doing?

A flicker of annoyance crossed her features momentarily. She had already explained the whole friends-with-benefits situation to him only just recently, and for many reasons, it hadn’t exactly been an easy secret to confess. Esther knew Alfie better than anyone, so she saw through the facade and sensed his underlying intent to stir the pot. What an asshole!

Esther wasn’t normally ashamed of whatever she had going on under the sheets - that kind of thing had been normalised to her subconsciously at a much younger age than she was now. But the respect that she had for Archie was disproportionate to all her other flings - she did truly consider him a close friend so was more put off around the fact that Alfie was deliberately trying to make them both uncomfortable.

The air around them suddenly felt a bit tense as Esther fumbled with what to say in response. She took a hurried sip of her wine, hoping to drown out the awkwardness that had settled in the conversation, then she looked to Archie, her expression briefly searching for some guidance. Send help.

octavian archimedes vector jr.
alfie edward o'callaghan

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

i think that we talk too much

2028
Esther Garnet

Archie lightly shrugged. He wouldn’t mention that it was now he who made the occasional surprise appearance in the hospital wing. Sometimes intentional and sometimes not, he did teach aspiring cursebreakers after all—injuries were not unheard of. Archie’s gaze had not left Esther’s when her expression changed, but he looked at Alfie when his friend spoke. That was not a question he had expected, especially from Alfie.

But Archie kept his expression calm. This small rise of panic was purely out of shock, that was all. They were all friends here. Clearing his throat, he caught Esther’s expression. ”If you’re referring to ‘friends’, then yes.” Archie responded flatly. And he was not lying nor insinuating anything with that statement. He and Esther were good friends who happened to sleep with one another on occasion and nothing more.

Sipping from his glass, Archie quirked a brow. ”Speaking of ‘things’, have I heard correctly you’ve found herself a nice herbologist?” Hogwarts staff had very few secrets, though mainly among the newer folks. The veterans, including Archie, knew how to be discreet, and Archie kept much about himself close to the chest in any case. ”One day they’ll learn to stop gossiping in the break room.” He added with a light and innocent shrug.

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[alfie edward o'callaghan]

After the words slipped from Alfies lips, he knew he probably shouldn’t have asked that question. Especially since he had his own dirt to dish. A slow smile spread across Alfie's face as he nodded his head at Archie’s response of bringing up Alora, ”Ah, touché, my dude, touché..” he laughed easily, face reddening ever so slightly. There was no hard feelings against Archie, not in the slightest. They were just complicated feelings for Alfie to digest. Why did these feelings always resurface any time Esther had a male ‘friend’ around? There could only be ~one handsome male figure in her life…

Ruffling a hand through his messy curls, his expression twitched into smile, ”The gossip grapevine is still goin’ strong…but alas, not quite accurate.” he took another sip of wine, which was going down much too easily now. ”You mean with Alora?” he chuckled, attempting to upkeep nonchalance, but his face was more tense than anything.

Alfie's eyes darted awkwardly to Esther as the name 'Alora' fell from his lips, feeling a weird pinch at his gut. Draining his glass, again, "We didn't have anything going on...it was more professional than anything. Helped set up the greenhouses and get her settled in." It wasn't a complete lie but it wasn't entirely true either. They had a couple of nights together but their fleeting romance ended quicker than it started.

Esther Garnet
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[Esther Garnet]

Esther shifted in her seat, a mild curiosity flashing across her features as she processed Archie's response. His casual acknowledgment of their situation mirrored her own thoughts on the matter. It earned him a nod of approval from the blonde and a warm smile that seemed to express gratitude to him for stepping up to answer the question.

Archie then brought up the break room rumour mill and locked Alfie in a checkmate. She listened to him shrug off his relationship with their red-headed colleague as nothing but professional and Esther rolled her eyes at the blatant lie.

She leaned back, swirling the wine in her glass, her expression carefully neutral. "Hmm, just a professional setup in the greenhouses, was it?" she chimed in, a faint hint of scepticism in her tone. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes locking momentarily with Alfie's before flitting back to Archie. “Sounds pretty... hands-on, don't you think?"

"Well, it's always entertaining to see how rumours spin out of control," she added casually, though there was a subtle edge to her tone, knowing full well that Alfie was brushing it off as something less than it had been. Esther could never tell him, but she was happy when it hadn't worked out between him and Alora. The thought of losing him to someone else or having things change between them was almost too painful to bear at the time. Deciding to steer the conversation elsewhere, she leaned forward, interjecting with a grin, "Any more tales from the gossip grapevine or shall we stick to safer topics?"

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alfie edward o'callaghan