Response to Boogum's challenge at rowangreenleaf's DG Forum! I apologise for the lack of beta on this. Prompt: A Muggle object.
I disclaim.
A Problem of Mobility
Ginny struggled to remember just what button she was supposed to press to speak to Hermione on her mobile phone. The older girl had insisted that she get one so that they could speak when they needed to since Hermione worked in Muggle London and Ginny was still slaving away in the secretary pool of the Ministry of Magic.
Earlier at lunch the redhead had found herself missing Hermione. While eating her tuna melt she was reminded of how the two girls would giggle over their shared love of the smelly fish. Ron always looked at them like they were nutters as they would laugh and eat a third helping at lunch every Tuesday.
Hermione had gotten a job in a Muggle hospital and they were lucky to Floo each other every few weeks now. So she got Ginny a phone that also took photos and told her to think of Colin as she took snaps of the Wizarding world to send to the knowledgeable healer.
'Now, was it star 9 hash or hash 9 star? Oh, bother; I'll just hop round to her flat and see what she's up to.'
X
"Ginny!" Hermione's exuberance at seeing her best friend Apparating into her modest flat was a bit overwhelming for the youngest Weasley. But her delight was just as heartfelt as she hugged the older girl. "I've missed you these last few weeks. How are things at your job? Have you met any new men? How is your family? Ron?"
"Okay Hermione, slow it down a bit and let me catch up." Ginny was reminded of how Hermione's cheerful and open attitude had helped her through some rough times in her life. Like when she had found Harry cheating on her with Cho Chang; or when she had lost a promising promotion to the bicycle of the secretary pool.
"Mum is asking when you're coming around for Sunday dinner. And Ron is still mooning over you; though I think he had a date last week so he must be coming out of it." Ginny answered honestly but tried not to let Hermione know how much her dismissal of Ron's affections had hurt him. "My job will never change, that's the most depressing part about it.
"As for men… there's one I've had my eye on for a while but I don't want to jinx it by saying anything. Besides, there's not anything to tell… yet. But I am hopeful it might work out. We've been owling each other and we are getting along famously by long distance. I can only hope it will pan out to become more. But again, I don't want to say too much."
Ginny was feeling a bit guilty for not sharing more with Hermione on her budding romance with Draco. They had met up at a Ministry function and shared a few laughs over drinks. The next day an owl had shown up with a lovely letter from him thanking her for her company and things had gone from there.
He was working in France at the moment, so they only owled each other. But not more than a day would go by without some little missive telling how their day went or a quick greeting.
Ginny had been pleased to find that he had grown into a charming man who had intelligence, a wonderful sense of humour and loads of sex appeal. They hadn't even gone on a real date yet, but Ginny found herself thinking of him as her lover. And he seemed to reciprocate her affections. But in the back of her mind was always the nagging fear that he might be cheating on her or that he didn't feel as strongly as she did. She did her best to live in the moment and not dwell on her fears.
"Ginny, who is this fellow? Why haven't you mentioned him before?"
Hermione's words brought her out of her meditation on Draco and she did her best to hide her slight blush at her wandering mind.
"Oh, well… you know, um, it's hardly worth mentioning. I mean, well, he hasn't told me I'm his girlfriend or anything, and he tells me he likes me and wants to be with me, but we haven't even had a proper date yet. I don't even know if Draco does proper dates." She was babbling and Hermione was looking at her strangely with a raised eyebrow. "So how are things at the hospital these days?"
It was a poor attempt at distraction and Hermione gave a small frown but went along with the change of subject.
The girls spent the afternoon catching up and Hermione showed Ginny how to use her mobile phone, again. The older witch was patient but really couldn't understand how someone as intelligent as Ginny couldn't figure out how to press a few buttons in the proper order.
As they hugged goodbye Hermione gave a parting shot of knowledge, "Star, 9, hash, send."
Ginny grinned at her as she swirled away into the chimney system headed towards home. As she stepped out of the green flames she saw Draco's owl, Ara, waiting on the back of her kitchen chair for her with a letter.
"Hello my sweet, how are you today?" The owl gave a soft hoot in reply and nudged Ginny's palm searching for a sign of affection she knew Ginny would surely bestow. Taking the letter Ginny fed the owl a treat and sent her on her way back to France.
Hello love. I'll be in London tomorrow for some work for the night. Shall we meet up for dinner and drinks… and more? I'll pick you up at seven-ish.
Can't wait to see you again, it's been too long since we last spoke face to face.
D
The letter was short but sweet and gave Ginny a feeling of excitement that was brand new. His wording was a little different than usual but she put it off to first date nerves.
He wanted to meet up with her. He was finally asking her on a date. The excited Gryffindor ran to her room to search for an outfit for tomorrow night.
X
By seven thirty Ginny was totally crushed and was actually hoping that he had been in some sort of accident rather than ditching her on their very first date. Hadn't he said he couldn't wait to see her again? He had sounded as happy as her at the prospect. By eight Ginny was crushed and desperately trying to push the damn buttons on the damn Muggle torture device again. "Oh sod it, I'm going over there."
By now she had changed into comfy sweats and eaten her weight in ice cream and her eyes were red and puffy from crying; but she knew that Hermione wouldn't care about that.
When she Apparated into Hermione's flat she took a brief look around the living room, something didn't look right. Hermione's favourite wing back chair was pushed up against the wall and there were pieces of clothing lying around it. An opened book lay on the floor and one of the pages was bent, knowing that Hermione would never allow that to happen, Ginny pulled out her wand and quietly started to look around the flat. Living in Muggle London one never knew what might happen and one could only use limited amounts of magic there, even within the confines of one's home.
The kitchen was empty and Ginny saw that a bottle of wine was open on the counter, perhaps Hermione had gotten drunk? Not very likely, but possible.
As she reached the opened bedroom door she noted the crumpled bed. Ah, she must have gotten drunk and was now taking a shower or something to sober up. A little worried at why her best friend might need to get so inebriated she headed for the bathroom. Giving a soft tap on the door as she opened it she was not prepared at all for what she found inside.
There in the steamy shower was very clearly her best friend and Draco Malfoy. Reality crashed hard upon her and things began to click into place. The living room, the wine, the date that never showed, and the owl that gave her a comforting nudge.
The invitation had been for Hermione and little Ara had brought it to Ginny instead, trying to warn her off. The winged creature cared more for her than the man who had been professing his affections for the last two months.
She turned around and ran back to the living room of her now defunct friend.
She picked up Draco's silk boxers from the floor next to the chair and laid the mobile phone on top of them. She quickly typed a message onto the screen, "The bridge has been burned. I would never have thought. I did nothing wrong, yet now I have naught. I hope the deceitfulness of you both haunts you as much as your betrayal will haunt me."
She charmed the devil's toy with a powerful hex that would give whoever picked it up something to remember her by. She hoped it hurt as much as her aching heart.