a/n: Hello and welcome to my first Coffee Shop AU! I hope you enjoy it, tell me in the reviews! ;) Betaed by viv-heart, always.

Wednesday

"No! I won't hear of it again, do you understand me?" Pansy snapped and ended the call. Still fuming she stepped into her favourite coffee shop. She hadn't expected the queue and nearly stumbled into the man in front of her. Looking again she noticed that all the men concentrated on a new employee, who in turn ignored them unless they ordered.

After a wait that was way too long for Pansy's taste she was finally able to give up her order and see the new girl up close. She was a beauty with fiery red hair and big caramel brown eyes. Pansy understood the men's fascination with her.

"Your order," the redhead drawled without looking at Pansy.

"A lactose-free Caramel Macchiato, please," Pansy answered politely. The girl's head snapped up and she looked at her with surprise. Her name-tag was now uncovered - it read 'Ginny'.

"Would you tell me your name?" Ginny asked and smiled at Pansy, who pitied the girl. She probably had been goggled at by every male and she didn't even want to think how many of them had tried to get her phone number.

"Pansy."

Ginny smiled and wrote it down. "Do you want anything else?"

Pansy looked over at the muffins and saw that they had her favourite. "An apple-caramel muffin would be wonderful."

"You really like caramel, don't you?" Ginny asked jokingly and Pansy laughed.

"Guilty as charged," she admitted.

Pansy saw how Ginny slipped a note in the bag with the muffin and smiled a little before paying and stepping aside to wait for her coffee.

When Pansy returned to her office and opened the bag with her muffin she had nearly forgotten the note and was rather surprised to read it.

"Thank you for giving me a break from the men. Enjoy your muffin! ;)"

Pansy smiled and scared her secretary, who had just come in, with it.

"Miss Parkinson, the boss wants to speak to you," the girl said and fled the office. Looking up Pansy realised that the girl probably had thought that she had gotten a tip for her new article and had smiled like this because of it. Didn't she know happiness from satisfaction?

Snorting she got up and took her coffee with her. If Malfoy wanted to see her she should hurry. He hated waiting even if it was for his best friend.

Thursday

Ginny decided that she wouldn't wear make-up to work ever again. Yesterday had been horrible. She had wanted to look good on her first day, but she hated how all the men had stared at her as if she was something delicious or even prey. She was rather used to it as she had worked at a coffee shop before, but the men here were so convinced of themselves that they didn't even consider that she could say no.

Sighing Ginny prepared the next order. She really hoped the woman from yesterday would come back. She had been a relief and Ginny wanted to thank her properly.
Ginny had to admit that she also thought that Pansy had been rather good looking. Of course she was way out of Ginny's league, but a girl could dream.

Just when she had thought that she heard a woman ordering a lactose-free hot chocolate. Looking up Ginny saw that it was indeed Pansy and smiled at her. Pansy returned the smile and stepped up to her to wait for her beverage.

"Hi, having no admirers today?" Pansy asked teasingly.

"Thank god, no," Ginny chuckled. "I will never wear makeup to work again."

"You don't need it anyway," Pansy said and Ginny looked at her startled, but she only smiled and winked.

"Thank you," Ginny said blushing. "For yesterday as well. I was already starting to think about writing a sign: 'I am lesbian, leave me alone!'"

Pansy laughed. "They probably would have seen it as a challenge. They do when I say it anyway."

Ginny laughed while she prepared Pansy's chocolate, startled that the other would admit to being a lesbian so easily. Suddenly she had an idea.

"Would you like some caramel on top?" she asked shyly. Pansy nodded vigorously and Ginny laughed outright at her expression.

"One could probably bribe you with caramel, right?" Ginny asked while she gave Pansy the coffee.

"Probably," she admitted. "Don't tell my boss though or he'll use it mercilessly to convince me to write the articles he wants me to write!"
Ginny motioned as if she locked her lips and threw the key away. She winked at Pansy, who was captured by those caramel eyes of the other girl.

"Thank you," Pansy answered laughing. "See you tomorrow!"

Ginny looked after the woman who walked so confidently that the people standing between her and the door actually moved aside.

Friday

Pansy hesitated before stepping inside her favourite coffee shop. Yesterday she had tried to gauge Ginny's reaction when she said that she was a lesbian and had been rewarded with a surprised smile. When the redhead said that she wasn't wearing makeup Pansy had actually been startled as she hadn't even noticed. And at night, lying in her bed she hadn't been able to cast Ginny and her beautiful eyes from her mind. When she woke up this morning she had decided to ask her out.

Stepping in the coffee shop she saw that Ginny had attracted a cloud of men again. She caught her eyes through the crowd and winked.

"Excuse me," Pansy said politely to the men who blocked her way to the counter without ordering anything. When they didn't budge Pansy decided to use the lofty attitude her mother had taught her.

Standing straight and clearing her throat loudly she got the attention of the gathered men.

"If you don't want to order something, leave. You are in my way," she declared with a truly aristocratic voice and looked down at the men with her best superior glare. Many of them hurried to obey but three of them stayed where they were and continued to try to flirt with Ginny. Pansy thought she recognised the one with messy black hair and the dark skinned guy next to him, but she didn't know from where. The last one was Blaise Zabini, a guy who went to school with her.

"Zabini! What brought you to my favourite coffee shop?" Pansy asked in cheerful voice. He turned around and smiled broadly at her.

"Parkinson, I didn't even know you were still alive," he said while kissing her on both cheeks.

"Obviously I am. I see you have met my girlfriend already?" Pansy chirped while smiling broadly at Ginny who looked confused for a second.

"You still insist to be lesbian, mi amore?" Blaise asked theatrically.

"She is your girlfriend?" the black haired man asked suspiciously. "Why didn't she tell us?"

"Would you have accepted it?" Pansy asked slyly. Looking at him she finally remembered him to be a famous football player and the dark skinned man next to him a local artist.

The football player, what was his name again, looked a bit sheepish and the artist just shrugged.

"I am sorry, if I bothered you," he said. "But I would really like to draw you anyway. Here is my card."

Ginny accepted it mutely and with a last smile he turned around and left.

"I don't remember you being lesbian back in school," Potter, that was his name, said to Ginny.

"I didn't realise it until later," the redhead said defensively. "Now bugger off, I have to work."

Potter raised his hands in surrender and left as well. Now only Blaise was left and he looked back and forth between the two women.

"You aren't really dating, right? You only wanted them to leave quickly," he observed and Pansy nodded defiantly.

"Alright, Ginny, I am sorry if I bothered you but Parkinson here can confirm that I flirt with everyone."

Pansy snorted. "Make it everything. I saw you flirting with a stone once when you were drunk out of your mind."

"I accept your apology. It's just...So many men come in and flirt with me, keeping me from working, none of the accepting a 'no' as an answer that I am really tired of it. Here is your coffee by the way," Ginny said and gave Blaise his probably black coffee.

"Thank you, darling. Next time I come around I will scare them off for you, alright?" he smiled his most charming smile and Ginny laughed.

"Will you pretend to be my significant other as well?"

"If I am allowed to do that," Blaise answered with a wink and left the shop.

"What would you like today, my dearest girlfriend?" Ginny asked with a wink of her own.

"A double Espresso and a Caramel Macchiato," Pansy answered laughing.

"Long night?" Ginny asked while preparing the order.

"Yes, I couldn't sleep for hours," Pansy admitted. She took a deep breath and finally asked: "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

Ginny looked up startled. "Um, yeah, why not."

"I know a nice place around the corner. They have marvellous burgers. Do you like burgers? I love them and the place and..." Pansy suddenly stopped. "Sorry, I am ranting."

"It's alright," Ginny laughed. "I love burgers as well and since I don't know anything around here, I would love to try them."

"Did you just move here?" Pansy asked curiously accepting her Espresso and starting to sip it.

"Yes, for the university," Ginny smiled while decorating the Caramel Macchiato.

"What are you studying?"

"Sports and journalism. I am not sure which one of them I will choose as a career, but I love them both, so maybe sports journalism?"

Pansy smiled. "It is better to have a broader field. Especially since journalism is no easy profession."

Ginny nodded and gave Pansy her second beverage. "When will we meet tonight?"

"Around seven? In front of the coffee shop?" Pansy asked thoughtfully.

"Sounds good. Um, do I need to dress specially?" Ginny asked a bit unsure but Pansy immediately shook her head.

"No, I have to be dressed up like this all the time for work. I prefer my dinner places to be casual."

They said good bye and Pansy left the coffee shop smiling happily to herself.