Chapter Text
***
James hated the snow very much at this very moment. He gripped the stirring wheel of his car so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He was stuck in traffic for the past hour, and there was no way he was going to make it home in time. Hell, while staying on the same spot for what felt like an hour, James slowly began to contemplate if he should just turn the car around and drive back to London.
Surely at this point, he would save much more time getting back rather than just continue to sit here, waiting for the snail-like pace of the cars to get a move on.
James cursed and reached for his phone. The screen displayed the date December 22nd and the time 08:42 in the evening.
This was getting ridiculous.
The snow was not going to stop anytime soon. He opened the maps app, and looked at his location, gloomily. He was quite literally stuck in the middle of nowhere, the closest town being a good thirty-minute away drive.
James considered his options.
He could turn around.
He could continue waiting in traffic for another few hours.
Or he could drive thirty minutes, rent a hotel room, sleep, and head out first thing in the morning, after being well rested and well fed.
His patience was running thin, and the thought of a scorching hot shower and a warm bed did things to James’ mind, which made it difficult to think of why it was such a bad idea to spend a day in the local countryside bed and breakfast.
James glanced back at the traffic jam he was stuck in. All he had to do was move to the right lane and turn; driving along the much less packed road straight until he reached the town.
It did not take long for James to make his decision.
As he was driving, he tried calling his dad, but his line was busy, so they must have been too occupied by their visiting guests to spare James much of their attention. He did not mind, for as long as he could remember since his childhood, James’ parents loved hosting and Christmas holiday in their family was a huge thing. The house was always packed, with neighbours, relatives, friends James brought first from school and as he got older from uni. Lily would often come with him, and she still called his mom occasionally even now that they have broke up.
James thought back to his parents’ manor and sighed. It was the first Christmas when he was coming completely alone, and he could not lie, the thought did sting a little bit. It was also the reason why James was dreading a little going back to his parents’ house. He did not want to listen to any questions about his love life or hear any advice his family members would begin to give about dating. James just wanted some peace and quiet, and truthfully, for a while, he considered just not going back home altogether.
But he knew his mom would worry, and his dad would pester him about it on the phone, so James knew it was better to just agree, spend a few days over, and drive over back to London before New Year’s Eve, and if things were well, he could have Remus over for drinks so that they could cry about being single together.
James winced. When did his life turn that sad?
He was driving through the dark, the only course of light was the strong brightness of his car lights, the road before his eyes white and clouded from the snowfall. James felt his glasses grow foggy from the heat radiating inside the car, and the road before him grew blurry from tiredness and he cursed silently, as he looked down on his phone screen with the navigator before him. It showed that the town was another ten minutes away.
James prayed that the drive there was worth it.
***
The town was quiet and white when James drove in. He had the closest Inn name typed before him and he was trying to figure out which building was the correct one. There were no bright signs and the town also did not have many street lights; all buildings merged into one through the deem and dark silhouettes.
James looked on his map again but it showed that he had already arrived at the place of his destination. James chuckled a little nervously and thought that he should probably park first, and then walk out, and look around so he could find the Inn better from outside of the car.
The snow was still falling but not as strongly as before when James got out and began his walk in the direction of the clustered together buildings, the taller one of which, with the dull but warm yellow lights from its windows, James hoped to be his place of sleep for the night. He walked in the direction of the building, freezing to the bone in his thin jacket, and his trainers were wet from the snow.
When he came slow he sighed with relief as he read the sign “The Three Broomsticks.”
What a peculiar name, James thought privately as he began to open the door. However, he was not the one to be quick to judge.
Inside it was warm and smelled a little like festive mixture of pine and eggnog. James was hit with the nostalgic scent of his childhood and he immediately felt a little more at ease compared to his nervousness from before.
He walked across the lobby, feeling the warmth from the fireplace burning in the corner. He did a quick look around, noticing the clean state of the reception and the quiet music of what sounded like the harmonious playing of the piano in the background. James walked to the lobby, and drummed his fingers lightly against the wooden counter, as he waited patiently for whoever would emerge from the secluded room just behind the reception.
“Just a moment!” a strong female voice sounded from the room. James watched as she walked towards him, standing before James, her face kind and eyes glittering as she gave him a quick look surely noticing his wet from the melted snowflakes hair and red from the freezing cold face. She was an alpha, James could tell, but he was still surprised by how strong her scent was, maybe living in such a secluded part of town, one did not use the scent blockers as much as James did in the city. “Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. Please make yourself comfortable. How can I help you?”
She looked like she could be the owner of the establishment, her face gentle but assertive, as she gave James a confident smile.
James gave her a polite nod. “Sorry to disturb you so late. I am looking for a room for the night. Just one night. I was wondering if you have some space?”
The woman nodded as she listened to him, her eyes widening enthusiastically. “Of course! We have a bedroom or two to spare. It is a small town, we don’t get visitors often. This weather is hideous is it not? Did you stop on the way out of town? I can hear by your accent, you are a downtown boy.”
James let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Yes, I got stuck in traffic on the way to see my parents. They live a bit further up North, but the weather is terrible, I thought I might wait over the storm, and try driving again tomorrow.”
“Oh, what a good idea! Sorry, I should introduce myself, call me Madam Rosmerta! I always get so excited when we gets visitors here. We offer breakfast of course, but if you have the time you must stop by “Brews and Stews”. Their coffee is outstanding. And their pastries! Delicious. You should try, it's our town’s proud and honour.”
James nodded his head, falling victim to Madam Rosmerta’s excitement. “I will make sure to visit it when I leave!”
The woman gave him a bright smile. “Oh, you should. The owners are so lovely! One of them is a little shy, but you must not let it stop you from talking to him, he is one of the few residents here who are young, so he must surely miss the company of those who were his age.”
James promised he would. He was tempted to try it, he never travelled around the country, and he was not in such a hurry to return to his parents. He could wake up late, have a slow breakfast, and then drive to the manor. Madam Rosmerta talked about the little stores with knickknacks that she spoke to James he must visit (he considered it, maybe he could get a present for his parents as an apology for driving in later than planned), or the tea shops and the bookstores James could stop by if he was interested.
She took his card and charged him for the bedroom with the same energy as she was talking about the Christmas Market on the town’s main square and the ice skating rink that James must surely skate on.
“You know if you would like to prolong your stay for another night or two, I can even give you a little discount,” Madam Rosmerta said lowly with a slight wink and laughed. James joked it off, and thought to himself, that there was not anything truly worthy of seeing in town to spend more than a one-night stay.
Madam Rosmerta gave him the key to his room and told James the directions. He would go up the stairs, the building was not large, but the corridors were long and had many turns. His room was a little further away from the others and Madam Rosmerta guaranteed he had one of the best views their inn could offer.
When James walked inside his room he was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. The room was small but it smelt good and it was cosy and warm with a twin-sized bed in the middle, a sofa a small TV, a wardrobe and a bathroom which James was content with using. He did not have high expectations for his stay but this was better than anything he could have wished for as a last-minute alternative to the cold and traffic.
James looked at the bed, and the fresh sheets and imagined how good his sleep would be during the night. He undressed, took a quick but hot shower and climbed into bed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about all the stress of the day and the tiredness that chained his body. James did not remember how he fell asleep, but he knew that he was so exhausted that he was having no dream at all that night.
***
James did not set an alarm for the morning which was why it came as no surprise that he woke up late. It appeared that the storm must have cleared overnight because the sun shined through the thick curtains into James’ little room. The sky looked bright and blue, and when James took his glasses from the nightstand and put them on so he could see the time on his phone it said ten in the morning, and he had two missed calls from his mom, a text from his dad, and another text from Remus checking in if he made it home alright through the snowstorm.
James called his mom first. He was still in bed, his mind a little groggy from a good sleep but his body felt pleasantly well-rested. His mom picked up after the second ring, and soon a vibrant voice of Euphemia Potter sounded in his ear.
“Jamie! Oh, thank goodness you picked up. Good morning, darling! Your father said you chose to spend the night over at Hogsmeade last night. The traffic must have been horrible, all the snowfall and the cold I can’t imagine how busy the roads were!”
His mom was speaking fast and James’ mind was struggling to catch up. “Yes, Mom, don’t worry. I just spent the night at the local bed and breakfast instead. I will be home by afternoon today.”
“Don’t you worry, I must have woken you up! Take your time! Hogsmeade is a lovely town, you would love it! I am just calling to make sure you made it all okay last night.”
“Yes, Mom, all good, nothing to worry about,” James’ smiled to himself. “Tell Dad I said hi. I will see you guys soon.”
His mom made a content noise saying she would pass the message along. James spoke to her for a little while longer before he put down his phone and stretched on the bed.
Hogsmeade. So that was the name of the town. After all the driving he had done yesterday it had completely escaped his mind to look up the name of this place. On the maps from yesterday, as he remembered it, his family’s manor was not that long of a distance away, a good forty minutes or so without traffic. James thought he had enough time for breakfast and maybe to get a coffee at that place the innkeeper mentioned last night.
James got up from the bed slowly. He never really had time to laze about in the mornings before, most of the time he had to wake up early and get ready for his job or head to the gym, so waking up anytime after nine was a rare occurrence to him. But it felt good, he had nowhere to rush, and when James got to the window and looked outside he realised there was no way he could drive anytime soon even if he wanted to.
The whole town was covered with thick layers of snow.
James could not believe his eyes as he stared out from his window outside; the buildings, the roofs, and the streets were all covered with white. It made the whole town look magical and peaceful and James despite his growing worries about the state of his car which he parked outside could not stop looking at the view before him. His room was located on the second floor and he got a pretty good overview of the snowed streets, and judging by how slow the town was, James doubted there was a truck coming to clean the roads so early in the day and so close to Christmas too.
James felt that he was inside a pretty festive postcard. He could see the Christmas lights in the windows of some buildings, and if he looked closely he could see the children gathering outside, their excited shouts carrying their way even through the window glass, thrilled about playing snowballs or building a snowman. James smiled despite himself. With nothing better to do, he decided he should probably take a shower before heading downstairs.
He wore his last night's clothes, and when he walked past the lobby he was greeted by Madam Rosmerta who was carrying the coffee to some guests sitting and chatting in the hotel lobby. She noticed James and gave him a wave.
“I see the snow had gotten worse during the night,” he said after a good morning greeting. The innkeeper shook her head in agreement. “Do you think they will have the streets cleaned by the evening?”
“I would hope so! You poor thing. Your car is probably out there all beneath this snow.”
“I guess so,” James sighed. “Is it possible to prolong the stay? I can pay for an extra night. Maybe by tomorrow, it would get a little better.”
James thought about this plan in the shower. The streets were icy and snowy, and James, a little stupid of him honestly, did not have winter tires on. His only hope was that the local truck would clean the streets so he would be able to drive tomorrow. Maybe he would get lucky and could get home right for Christmas Eve.
“Oh honey, I hope you are right. I will call around and see what they say there in the department. I will let you know by afternoon at the latest. I am sure they will have it figured out by tomorrow.”
James told her it was no worries. He paid for another night and walked out on the snowy streets outside the inn. Truthfully he did not mind having to spend a day in this place, he could do some shopping, get a bottle of wine and read his book or watch a movie later. It was not the worst-case scenario at all.
James’ first intention was to check the state of his car. He cursed as he walked, thinking to himself that he should have worn those winter boots which he left back in his apartment in London, his feet drowning under all the snow.
When James came to the parking lot he stilled. Just as he expected his car was buried beneath; the snowstorm making it impossible to distinguish from the other similarly hidden behind the snow cars. James sighed and turned around. He had no energy to deal with this on an empty stomach.
His car was still there, cold and snowy, and he could clean it tomorrow as the roads would be cleared.
He was desperate for a coffee first.
The coffee shop, the “Brews and Strews” as it was called was located on the outskirts of the town. James walked slowly, turning his head left and right, reading all the signs on the buildings before him. There was an antique store, a bookstore, and a gift shop with Christmas trees sparkling through its window seals. The town was like a postcard, or more like a snowball like one of those his mother loved to collect. The buildings looked old but well taken care of, and every single person who walked past James gave him a smile and a shake of their heads.
It was nothing like London. James almost forgot what it was like to live somewhere where lives are so slow and relaxed, and he felt his chest tighten as he thought that this probably would be the kind of town where he would move in with Lily if they decided to their their relationship to the next level.
They did not talk about marriage, but James thought it was something both of them would eventually come to have a discussion about, especially after four years of being together. Now, after their break, he thought that maybe it was just him who had such thoughts cross his mind. Him and Lily were still on good terms, and Lily was happy with her new boyfriend, it had been over a year since they broke up so it did make sense to move on, but James could not let go of the sharp feeling in his chest as he thought of their relationship, of making a family.
He knew he wanted children. He wanted to find a mate, but Lily was a beta, and betas don’t get particularly stuck up on the talks of pups and mates and bites. James was an alpha, he unconsciously sought out a partner who would share his desire for a family, but he knew it was better to move on, the breakouts opened the possibilities for new beginnings (or at least that is what all those relationship podcasts told him).
James hugged his jacket closer to his body, hiding his nose in the high collar, feeling the cold around him. He was a little lost in his thoughts, and when he came to the edge of town he almost missed the coffee shop with a little wooden sign decorated by the Christmas wrath.
“Stews and Brews” it read in cursive letters. This town surely had a way of naming their local businesses.
James pushed the door and the bell rang behind him, announcing the arrival of the new guest.
James felt the warmth of the coffee shop as he walked through the door. It smelt good, like cinnamon and gingerbread, freshly roasted beans, and something warm, like home, a smell which James could not quite put a finger on.
When James walked in he could hear the subtle sounds of Christmas jazz over the speakers which James found to be strangely fitting.
The coffee shop was rather small, with a few tables in the corner but like everything that appeared to be in the town it was cosy, in brown tones, with Christmas decorations all over it, from the Christmas tree in the corner to the mistletoe which hang over the coffee counter. James walked closer looking at the pastry display his mouth already salivating as he thought about his breakfast order.
“Coming!” A pleasant male voice sounded from the kitchen. James was the only customer so far, and he was not in a rush, so he waited patiently for the barista to come as he thought about his order. “Good morning! Sorry to keep you waiting. What can I get for you?”
James lifted his head a pleasant smile on his face; he had an answer ready in his head but as he raised his eyes the words stuck in his mouth.
James’ heartbeat raised inside his chest, and he opened his mouth, but no sentence came out, his voice gone as he realised where the warm scent of the coffee shop was coming from. James felt a little dumbstruck but no one could blame him because he was looking at the prettiest omega he had ever laid his eyes on.