"Not the coffee, nor the coffeehouse is the longing of the soul
A friend is what the soul longs for, coffee is just the excuse."
(Turkish saying)

Tasseography & Turkish Coffee


The classroom, rarely used, was devoid of any furniture this afternoon. In place of tables and benches there were old, rococo cushions and carpets that had seen too many years in dusty storage. Windows let in the winter afternoon sun - brilliantly white, reflecting off fallen snow and merging with the outside sky in such a way that everything indoors seemed saturated with colour.

Virgil had made everyone remove their shoes at the doorway. Made might not be appropriate. He implied that all footwear would be transfigured into fish, and not even the house elves wish to cook anything that had been on someone's feet.

He was in his shirtsleeves and a beige sweater much too big for the boney frame underneath, and jeans rolled up to the knees. A definite aura of boyishness that no amount of dressing up or dressing down could repair. Two copper cesve were suspended of small flames just off the corner of a rug, where Virgil sat crosslegged while he waited patiently for the dark water to boil a second time. Each of the four Kutahya porcelain cups already contained a dollop of foam but were awaiting the final pouring, as was the custom with serving Turkish coffee.

It came to boil.

Rolling up his sleeves, Virgil slowly and carefully poured from each of the pots. The room was filled with the earthy fragrance. It was a fresh brew, underlaid by floral notes and an overwhelming sense of something almost spicy, that sharp nuttiness in the company of desert coffees. He breathed in, eyelids flickering with subdued pleasure.

"If one or two of you would accept a drink," Virgil addressed the other students sat around in the circle of which he formed a part. "And place its saucer on top of it once drained, I will demonstrate the Turkish art of reading coffee grounds. We play by Ottomon street rules." The Slytherin procured four large silver coins in the palm of his hand before placing one by each of the cups.

A light clinking as the coins grazed porcelain, and his vivid eyes - carrying still a hint of sleepiness - met Gracie's briefly, as she already knew some of the information he was conveying today. This would not be tricky for fellow NEWTs.

"By that, I mean our readings cannot extend to fortunes further than forty days. This is a belief only some tellers practice." Virgil continued in his most civil voice, obviously in his element of concentration. " The coins are to help cool the saucers..." he paused to glance at the first of those reaching for coffee, his tone wry. "Only drink from one side of the cup. I'd hate for some terrible fate to befall you."

Or worse, to befall him.

---

The holidays were over and Maximus Huckabee was glad to be back in the castle. Yes, he enjoyed being home with his mother, but between his father’s over-the-top tales of his grand adventures abroad, and his brother’s bragging of being accepted to the Falmouth Falcons’ reserve team, there wasn’t much time left over for poor Maxie. At least he had been able to spend New Year’s Eve alone with his mother, watching the stars in her telescope.

He had easily settled back into the routines at Hogwarts. And even though he didn’t want it to end, he was enjoying his last semester. Leaving the place that had been his home for the last seven years was a daunting thought, but graduating meant he could pursue his interest with more focus, and without distractions. His summer job at the National Museum of Wizarding History last summer had left him with an urge to dwell deeper into the workings of ancient witches and wizards.

His research had already begun (which made his homework suffer), and he was walking the corridors this Saturday afternoon with his nose deeply sunk in Huldras, Horklumps and Half-Trolls: Why Scandinavian Wizards Feared the Woods. This happened often, and just as often he didn’t watch where he was going (the reason why he found himself lost a lot).

This day, even though he didn’t know it, it was his nose that had led him to the empty classroom. Hearing the voices from within made him look up, and with confusion trying to locate himself. Not managing to do just that he looked at the door, deciding between trying to find his own way back or asking for help. The confusion of where he actually was, and the sweet aroma of coffee beans made him choose the latter.

“Hello?” he said as he peered through the door.

As far as school activities went, Indi was not generally involved.  However, Divination Club was right up her alley.  She enjoyed the class and even though she had no innate seeing talents, she tried, and there was something to say for effort.  Plus, Virgil was president and that meant she was going to get off her arse and actually make the effort to go.  Dragging herself down from the tower was a chore, but she dutifully loped down the stairs all while chewing on a cookie sent from home. 

Indi was content: it just helped… open her inner eye! 

So, she arrived with happy greetings, and joined the circle with Gracie and Virgil – happy to receive a cup and listen to the instructions.

It was unfortunate, however, that the Gryffindor had yawned during the instructions… the kind of yawn that blocked all the sound out of her ears and she blinked several times before she refocused.  Sure, she heard something about things being terrible… fate… but she figured whatever was meant to be was meant to be – regardless of whether she listened to instructions or not. 

The spicy coffee smelled amazing anyway; she was not going to complain.  She’d have to write her dad about it afterward and ask him about it.  Raising her cup cradled in both hands, Indi took a deep breath in, sighing out slowly.  “Amazing,” she breathed against the side of the cup and then took a sip. 

Strong! Ah! She wasn’t expecting that.  (Though what she was expecting was beyond her.)  Rubbing her tongue along the top of her mouth, not only was it strong, but it was hot and kind of grainy and that was just… well, for Virgil she’d deal with it.  But, that didn’t mean she wanted to try again so fast.  She put the cup down forcefully (some liquid spilling over the sides) and she wrinkled her nose – glad for the distraction of another voice. 

“Come in!” Indi immediately called out, eyes scanning before she decided on which cup was not full enough  - the one closest to her, for the sake of stealth – and poured just a bit of her coffee out into the other cup before putting it down.  “Plenty to go around!” 

Ever since realizing she was a Seer, Rose was into almost anything dealing with fortune telling, divination, and all things of the unknown future. So, of course she would be here as a member of the Divination club, comfortably seated in the circle amongst the other students for this club event. Though her expression was cool, possibly glaring at any present Slytherins, and she kept herself focused on sipping at the drink offered her by Virgil.

Her face scrunched up when she took a sip, not quite used to the flavor nor the texture. She was more used to basic teas that her mom and dad would brew up for them. That, and the hot chocolate usually made during the Christmas holiday. In comparison to this stuff she was already missing that sweet drink, wanting it with a few too many miniature marshmallows too. Nevertheless she kept her composure and managed to swallow the stuff down. Yeck... Note to self, keep to your normal teas for drinking. This is partially why she preferred to stick to her dreams and crystal ball when it came to Seeing things.

“Hello?”
"Come in! Plenty to go around!"

The appearance of someone new and the beckoning of an already seated member caught Rose's attention, bringing her eyes up to see who it was. Most likely someone she didn't know, but that was typical since she tended to keep to herself anyway. She brought her eyes back down a moment later and stared intently into her drink as she would with her crystal ball. She watched the reflection of light on the dark surface of the coffee, as well as the swirling motion it took as the liquid settled again in its cup.

Nicholas did his best to listen to Virgil as he sat in the circle.  He wasn't a member of the divination club, he didn't put much stock in divination to begin with.  Especially not predictions from anyone in the castle.  But that didn't mean he didn't occasionally stop by a meeting to get his future told.  It was entertaining most of the time.  Assuming whoever was doing the fortune telling wasn't predicting death and dismemberment.

He reached for one of the cups when Virgil's words finally managed to get processed.  "Wait, so you can't tell me what I'm going to get on my N.E.W.T.s?"  He said with a laugh.  As he took his first sip.  He'd had Turkish coffee a couple of time before, but it wasn't something he drank often.  But he did at least know how to drink it. 

"What happens if I drink from both sides?"  He asked between sips of the liquid.  Not that he believed it, but divination was technically taught at the school so he did try to at least follow the rules.  No reason to chance it with magic.

Eli arrived to the meeting late, clad in only a fuzzy kilt and a coconut bra.

"I lost a bet." He explained, picking up a cup of coffee and sniffing it. He did not like coffee, but for lovely Virgil's sake... He would have a sip and go along with whatever voo-doo divination nonsense that his dormmate would come up with. There was a point to this. Eli didnt like divination. He always found death omens, or maybe that was just his sister who messed with his head. Either way, he wasn't fond of a thing that told him that he was going to die prematurely.

No. He wanted fortunes that would tell him that he would live to be old, decrepit, and surrounded by beautiful old ladies and gillyweed.

Hips swaying, he made his way to Virgil and plopped down on the other Slytherin's lap. "Virgil my love~" He cooed, smooching his cheek. He met eyes with Bevans and winked.

The spectrum of student types in attendance today was so uncustomary that Virgil made a mental note to take a photograph of the motley crew after they were done draining coffee cups and lamenting fates. He was touched that Indi and Bevans - two Gryffindors who surely had lazier things to do on a Saturday afternoon - made an appearance. Huckabee was an unexpected interruption, though fortunately Indi saved him from having to wave the Ravenclaw in.

Turkish coffee was generally served with sweets, good baklava and the honeyed righteousness of an Ottoman heritage. He hadn't brought any.

Sticky, syrupy fingers. Distractions. Later.

Speaking of distractions. Virgil was twisting his wand to procure a fifth cup when Eli burst in, fuzzy kilt swaying dangerously at the hem. He wrinkled his nose and batted his housemate away with an air of sleepy distraction, though not protesting the intimate seating position.  Dislodging him would have been more effort anyway.

"A mirrored reading," he answered Nicholas as if though a nearly fully grown wizard wasn't sat on his lap. "A true and a false. You could try it. We could experiment." From anyone else it would have been a dare. From Virgil, a flirtation with academic subject matter - his eyes a touch more brilliant for it.

Cups were emptied and saucers placed on top. He instructed everyone to make a wish before having each participant turn the cups counter-clockwise three times, explaining that it could be any number of times but he preferred the rule-of-three. Virgil reached over to each of them, sliding his pale hands over theirs to help turn the cups upside down to lay on the saucers.

Coins were placed on these.

"Indi." Virgil pulled hers to him across the dusty rug, reaching over Eli's lap. He picked up the cup but the saucer was stuck to it, so he paused and slid it back without a second thought. "I can't. That means your fortune isn't meant to be read. Ottomites believed this to be good luck but..." he shrugged, moving on to Huckabee's coffee instead.

This was easier. Virgil turned it over to look into the bottom, where grounds were still stuck. He indicated a horizontal line and tilted the cup to display the reading method, frowning delicately at it.

"Divide the cup into two sections. To the reader's left, the past. To my right, the future. Huckabee's grounds are rather dark, which means his wish is unlikely to come true-" Virgil looked up with a ghost of a wicked smile. "- no Horkhumps in bed for you, sadly. Light grounds are more favourable." He paused to consider the shapes with a sharp look. Easy. An aimless future.

Virgil licked his lips. "A heart in your future," he pointed out a heart shape on the right. "Love. But its distinct separation from the past means you will meet him or her as someone you have never considered in a romantic light. Saucers..." the Slytherin pulled the saucer into better view for the group. "... represent domestic life. Yours is dull. Shapeless. Unsurprisingly."

His fingers moved nimbly to push the ceramic away while he addressed the group without looking at them. "Pick a partner. Don't attempt to read your own, it won't work. If you don't comprehend something, ask a question-" Virgil finally looked up and smiled patronisingly. "- is that understood, children?"

He began to pour a cup for himself, that someone might attempt to read his fortune.[1]

1.

Anyone feel free to try their hands at Virgil's, and each other's! This guide is useful (two section coffee reading) but there is a lot of space for improvisation based on how differently coffee ground reading is done across different regions! So go about interpreting shapes loosely as you would tea reading.

Nicholas choked back a laugh at Eli's antics.  No need to encourage him. Not that Eli ever seemed to need it.  He was just glad that his lap was still empty, it wasn't always possible to control yourself with someone squirming around in your lap.

Nicholas prepared his cup as instructed and then listened as Virgil didn't, or couldn't, read Indi's and then moved on to Maximus's.  Insulting him between reading his future.  He waited for Virgil to finish with his cup, and then he reached over to grab the cup.  He turned the cup right side up and stared into it.

"Hmmmm.  Looks like a cock and a rope in your future.  Rope means illness right?"  Okay so maybe, he'd picked up some stuff from previous meetings.  "Doesn't make sense, but I think you should be careful where you stick it mate.  Wrap your wand and all."  He glanced over at the younger girl sitting in the circle, he gave her an apologetic shrug.

He sat the cup down and looked at the saucer.  This was the reason he stopped being interested in divination.  The saucer looked like someone tipped their cup upside down on it and made a mess.  "I think your domestic life is going to be dark and messy."

His eyebrows rose quizzically, nearly meeting strands of hair golden blonde hair - beneath them Virgil's eyes shifted to observe his schoolmate's attempt at reading coffee grounds. A soft, amused snort as he looked over Eli's shoulder at the Gryffindor. Tasseography was no art for the impatient.

By default, not a popular one in that house.

He was tempted to correct this reading but avoided glancing down at the grounds. It wasn't good luck to predict your own fate and it would be amiss to break a rule he'd set for the rest of the group.

"I'm always careful about where I..." Virgil wrapped an arm around Eli's waist, by now simply a physical impediment to conversation. "Stick it. Or where others stick theirs, rather." A smirk and a slow, playful smile that he directed at Nicholas - and then at Gracie, before he pulled over the next closest cup to be read.

The Slytherin made at being busy with the cup as he continued speaking, attention snatched away from the faces around him. "Messy domesticity is unoriginal. All domesticities are," he looked into the cup[1]. "To think otherwise is a lie. And there are few greater sins than lying to ourselves, aren't there?"

1.	This may be anyone who would like theirs read by him.