I need another fic like I need a hole in the head. But no inspiration is
being forthcoming for any of my other unfinished fics at this time, so I
need something new to keep me thinking. This probably will not be a long
one.
Disclaimer: Characters not mine. I'm just taking them out for a walk while they wait for their owner to use them again.
Beginnings in Ashes
Chapter 1
It was raining again. It always seemed to be raining anymore, but then again this was England. Summer generally lasted about a week at a time, if you were lucky. But this rain was even more depressing, because it was November, and November rain is never very nice. It was cold, it was dark, and quite frankly, Ginny Weasley had had quite enough of this rain to last her the rest of her life. A cloth hit her in the face.
"Oi. Break time is over babe. Back to work." Her co-worker, Mae said to her, before stubbing out her cigarette and getting up. Ginny did the same with hers, and then tied her apron back around her waist.
"Hey, Mae?" She asked as she tied her hair back again.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever wonder what you would do if you get out of this place?"
"Sure I do, babe. If I didn't I wouldn't be able to stay sane."
"What would you do?"
"Travel. I'd go places I'd never been before. Like, Germany, or Switzerland. And I go to an exotic beach somewhere and catch some sun. Maybe even catch me a man."
"That sounds wonderful." Ginny sighed as they approached the doors to the main area of the restaurant.
"What about you, babe? What do you think about doing?" Ginny smiled a little.
"I think I'd just like to get back to where I used to be. I'd love to go home again."
"Why don't you? Your family was a good sort, if I remember right."
"You do remember right. But they don't look kindly on me anymore. I don't think getting pregnant at seventeen was quite what they had in mind for me." "We'll get what we want someday Gin-girl. I promise. C'mon, it's the lunch crowd." The two women ducked through the doors to the restaurant and were greeted by two other frazzled looking waitresses, who immediately ducked into the kitchen to escape.
"Holy-free-holies. It's a huge crowd today. Good luck Mae!" Ginny called to the other woman as she headed over to her usual after break area.
It was near the end of the lunch hour rush of customers that he came into the restaurant. Ginny didn't even notice him until Mae pointed out that there was a new customer sitting in booth number four. She groaned, as she'd been looking forward to getting off a tad early that day. She tore off the remnants of the last customer's order and went over to the table.
"What can I get for you, sir? Today's specials are the Ham and Cheese Munch Melt, or if you're looking for something more substantial, we also have the Super sized Meatloaf." She said, readying her pencil and waiting for the man to order.
"Weasley??" He exclaimed. She looked up for the first time, and found Draco Malfoy gawking at her. She stood up a little straighter out of some age old instinctive need to be proper in front of him, but other than that, all she felt was necessary was to raise her eyebrows.
"Hello, Malfoy. Fancy seeing you here. What are you having?"
"The Meatloaf, please, and a beer. Is that all you have to say to me?"
"Meatloaf and a beer, do you want fries or onion rings? What do you want me to say to you?"
"Onion rings. I don't know, something along the lines of, 'what the hell are you doing here', would be nice. Or even just a little hint of shock would work too."
"Alright. Good heavens, Malfoy what the hell are you doing here, in London, where there are a lot of people that I know around much more often?" She said, sarcastically. She finished writing down his order and turned to walk away.
"Very funny, Weasley."
"Actually, it's not. But, you keep on telling yourself that and everything will be okay."
He was still staring at her funny when she brought his food to him. She was used to this sort of thing, after all good genes and playing Quidditch in school had given her a really good figure to begin with, and having a baby had only rounded out that figure in all the right places. But it was unnerving to be getting it from someone she hadn't seen in six years.
"Malfoy. You have your order, can you stop staring at me please." She told him.
"What are you doing here, Weasley?"
"I'm working, Malfoy. I would have thought even you could grasp that concept."
"But why here? In a little diner almost cut off from the rest of the world, that cooks things the Muggle way? It doesn't fit. You're smart enough for a Ministry job."
"Oh, gee, thanks. I can't tell you what that means too me."
"Oh come on, spill. What are you doing here, of all places?"
"If I tell you will you stop staring?"
"Well, you do present a lovely view, but if you insist."
"Fine. I'm here because this was the only place that would hire a social reject, like me. Sure the pay doesn't quite meet up to Malfoy expectations, but it's an honest job, and it keeps the rent paid, and it keeps me and Sam fed." She said, spinning on her heel and heading back toward the kitchen. He was the last customer in her area for the day, then she was finished and going home to Samantha. And hopefully, she would never have to talk to him again.
"Hey, babe. What's the matter, you look a little stricken. Are you sick?"
"No. I'm not sick. That customer is just somebody that I know from years past. Makes me remember things that are a little painful."
"Oh. You want me to take over?"
"No, it's okay. If I can make it through this, I stand a better chance of being able to face my family again."
"Okay. If you're sure."
"Thanks anyway."
She returned to his table a little while later and started clearing away the dishes.
"Will there be anything else, Malfoy?" She asked, trying to remain civil.
"No, thank you. Who's Sam? Boyfriend? Cat?" He asked.
"Not that it's any of your business, Malfoy, but Sam is my daughter. I'll bring your bill in a moment." He didn't say anything else to her after that, but she didn't mind. She figured that as soon as he walked out the doors she would never have to look at him again. She was wrong.
Disclaimer: Characters not mine. I'm just taking them out for a walk while they wait for their owner to use them again.
Beginnings in Ashes
Chapter 1
It was raining again. It always seemed to be raining anymore, but then again this was England. Summer generally lasted about a week at a time, if you were lucky. But this rain was even more depressing, because it was November, and November rain is never very nice. It was cold, it was dark, and quite frankly, Ginny Weasley had had quite enough of this rain to last her the rest of her life. A cloth hit her in the face.
"Oi. Break time is over babe. Back to work." Her co-worker, Mae said to her, before stubbing out her cigarette and getting up. Ginny did the same with hers, and then tied her apron back around her waist.
"Hey, Mae?" She asked as she tied her hair back again.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever wonder what you would do if you get out of this place?"
"Sure I do, babe. If I didn't I wouldn't be able to stay sane."
"What would you do?"
"Travel. I'd go places I'd never been before. Like, Germany, or Switzerland. And I go to an exotic beach somewhere and catch some sun. Maybe even catch me a man."
"That sounds wonderful." Ginny sighed as they approached the doors to the main area of the restaurant.
"What about you, babe? What do you think about doing?" Ginny smiled a little.
"I think I'd just like to get back to where I used to be. I'd love to go home again."
"Why don't you? Your family was a good sort, if I remember right."
"You do remember right. But they don't look kindly on me anymore. I don't think getting pregnant at seventeen was quite what they had in mind for me." "We'll get what we want someday Gin-girl. I promise. C'mon, it's the lunch crowd." The two women ducked through the doors to the restaurant and were greeted by two other frazzled looking waitresses, who immediately ducked into the kitchen to escape.
"Holy-free-holies. It's a huge crowd today. Good luck Mae!" Ginny called to the other woman as she headed over to her usual after break area.
It was near the end of the lunch hour rush of customers that he came into the restaurant. Ginny didn't even notice him until Mae pointed out that there was a new customer sitting in booth number four. She groaned, as she'd been looking forward to getting off a tad early that day. She tore off the remnants of the last customer's order and went over to the table.
"What can I get for you, sir? Today's specials are the Ham and Cheese Munch Melt, or if you're looking for something more substantial, we also have the Super sized Meatloaf." She said, readying her pencil and waiting for the man to order.
"Weasley??" He exclaimed. She looked up for the first time, and found Draco Malfoy gawking at her. She stood up a little straighter out of some age old instinctive need to be proper in front of him, but other than that, all she felt was necessary was to raise her eyebrows.
"Hello, Malfoy. Fancy seeing you here. What are you having?"
"The Meatloaf, please, and a beer. Is that all you have to say to me?"
"Meatloaf and a beer, do you want fries or onion rings? What do you want me to say to you?"
"Onion rings. I don't know, something along the lines of, 'what the hell are you doing here', would be nice. Or even just a little hint of shock would work too."
"Alright. Good heavens, Malfoy what the hell are you doing here, in London, where there are a lot of people that I know around much more often?" She said, sarcastically. She finished writing down his order and turned to walk away.
"Very funny, Weasley."
"Actually, it's not. But, you keep on telling yourself that and everything will be okay."
He was still staring at her funny when she brought his food to him. She was used to this sort of thing, after all good genes and playing Quidditch in school had given her a really good figure to begin with, and having a baby had only rounded out that figure in all the right places. But it was unnerving to be getting it from someone she hadn't seen in six years.
"Malfoy. You have your order, can you stop staring at me please." She told him.
"What are you doing here, Weasley?"
"I'm working, Malfoy. I would have thought even you could grasp that concept."
"But why here? In a little diner almost cut off from the rest of the world, that cooks things the Muggle way? It doesn't fit. You're smart enough for a Ministry job."
"Oh, gee, thanks. I can't tell you what that means too me."
"Oh come on, spill. What are you doing here, of all places?"
"If I tell you will you stop staring?"
"Well, you do present a lovely view, but if you insist."
"Fine. I'm here because this was the only place that would hire a social reject, like me. Sure the pay doesn't quite meet up to Malfoy expectations, but it's an honest job, and it keeps the rent paid, and it keeps me and Sam fed." She said, spinning on her heel and heading back toward the kitchen. He was the last customer in her area for the day, then she was finished and going home to Samantha. And hopefully, she would never have to talk to him again.
"Hey, babe. What's the matter, you look a little stricken. Are you sick?"
"No. I'm not sick. That customer is just somebody that I know from years past. Makes me remember things that are a little painful."
"Oh. You want me to take over?"
"No, it's okay. If I can make it through this, I stand a better chance of being able to face my family again."
"Okay. If you're sure."
"Thanks anyway."
She returned to his table a little while later and started clearing away the dishes.
"Will there be anything else, Malfoy?" She asked, trying to remain civil.
"No, thank you. Who's Sam? Boyfriend? Cat?" He asked.
"Not that it's any of your business, Malfoy, but Sam is my daughter. I'll bring your bill in a moment." He didn't say anything else to her after that, but she didn't mind. She figured that as soon as he walked out the doors she would never have to look at him again. She was wrong.