Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: I got the inspiration for this story when my sister bought a... well, we aren't quite sure what it is that she bought from the thrift store, but it looks cool. Either way, that is how I came up with this tale. Please Review.
"How about this?" Luna asks, holding up a bronze metal object. I'm not quite sure what it is, but Luna's very excited. The object resembled a vase with no bottom that had been welded to an upside down bowl that also lacked a bottom.
"I don't think so Lu." Seamus responds, scratching the top of his head. He looks at the object curiously for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think that the Muggles even know what that's for."
"Well, I think it's perfect, we could get Dean to turn it into something beautiful, like a candle holder!" I can see Luna is getting more and more excited as she talks.
"Just one problem Lu, its Dean's birthday. We want his present to be a surprise." He tells her, giving me a look. Luna deflates and I reach my hand out to pat her shoulder.
"You said Dean needed more objects for his projects. You could get him some objects to inspire him." I suggest.
"Right!" Luna brightens up and places the unusual object in the trolley. It was her idea to go to the Muggle thrift shop.
Dean, like me, was raised as a Muggle and he loved to show Luna parts of the world he had grown up in. Luna loved Muggle technology so much that they now both had cell phones and a computer. I was hoping the Seamus would come around, but he wasn't nearly as open-minded as Luna.
This was the reason that I attempted to rush Seamus past the electronics aisle. Unfortunately, he spotted a microwave.
"Hermione! I know what this is. You told me how to work it when we visited your parents! It's called a mryowake, right? And it heats things up!"
"It's called a microwave, but you're right about what it does at least, Seamus."
"It doesn't work like it did at your mum's. This one doesn't do bloody anything when you press the buttons."
"That's because it isn't plugged in. It needs electricity." I tell him. He looks at me confused.
"Lecricty?" I have to refrain myself from laughing.
"I'll tell you about it later, Shay."
"Hermione, Seamus!" Luna calls our names and I search for the owner of the voice, finding her near the picture frames.
" Look what I found." She pulls a box of small, multicolored bottles. " I'm certain Dean could make something out of these."
"They are cool." I murmur.
"And look what else I found." She says, pulling out an assortment of old cameras. "Dean took up photography recently. I just know that he'll love them." Seamus walks up as Luna is showing her the assortment of items she has found. I glance at him for a moment, then turn back to Luna before turning around to face him again.
"What are you doing with the microwave?" I ask him. He shrugs holding the microwave in his arms.
"I've wanted one since your dad showed me how to use it." Seamus tells me and I feel a surge of hope. My next step: Cell phones.
"I think it's a great idea."
"So what do you guys think?" Luna asks as Seamus peers into her trolley.
"I don't-" Seamus starts, but I know what he's about to say and I elbow him in the stomach.
"I think that it's absolutely perfect. Dean will love all of his gifts." Seamus glares at me as I say this. It isn't until we've finished buying our items that he speaks up again.
"So Luna we'll see you and Dean Saturday at the burrow right?"
"Course, I wouldn't miss it. I'm sure that we'll get to hear all about Harry and Draco's engagement." Luna tells him.
"Speaking of Harry and Draco, we're just about to meet them for lunch, if you would care to join us."
"Actually, I've got to go interview a naturalist named, one second-oh-Rolf Scamander. He promises to have very compelling evidence regarding the existence of humdingers. Just give Harry and Draco my hello, as well as a congrats on their engagement. I'm sure Nacrissa is absolutely thrilled."
"Will do. It's been lovely to see you, Luna." I step forward to give her a hug. Seamus gives her a hug as well as he can while holding our new microwave. While he hugs Luna, I check my watch.
"Shay, we have to go now if we want to get to the Leaky Cauldron on time. You know how Draco gets about tardiness."
"Right, we wouldn't want Malfoy going all ballistic on us, would we?" Seamus rolls his eyes as he wraps his arms around me and apperates.
"So, how did the shopping with Luna go?" Harry asks Seamus and me, while simultaneously squashing Draco's attempt to steal his chips. Seamus snorts into his drink and I nudge him with my shoulder.
"It was lovely." I told Harry.
"Please." Seamus rolls his eyes." She got the most barmy stuff." Shay lowered his voice to whisper to Harry." I don't know what Dean's supposed to do with any of it."
"Says the man who has a useless white box sitting at his feet." Draco says, poking at the microwave with his foot under the table.
"It's called a Mydrowave."
"Microwave." I correct, but Seamus just waves it off with his hand. "And Shay dear, put the legs of your chair on the floor where they belong." Seamus ignores me.
"Wait. What did Luna get Dean?" Thank you Harry, for always being two steps behind everyone else. I mean it.
"That's the problem, isn't it?" Seamus rocks back in his chair. "None of us, Luna included, are really sure what exactly she bought. It's all junk."
"That's our Loony. As insane as ever." Draco says with a smirk.
"But we love her anyways and are certain Dean will appreciate her gifts to him." Harry adds. Then, with a sideways glance to Draco, he says, " And we will not make fun of or mock Luna and/or her presents in any way. And we will also refer to her using her given name, Luna, Draco, not Loony" Draco pouts. I pull out my wand and mutter a spell that sends the front legs of Seamus's chair to the ground with a thunk. He glares at me.
"I told you to stop doing that. One day you're going to crack tour head open and I will not bloody fix it." Draco snickers at the kicked puppy-dog face that my fiancé is sporting. One look from me, however, and Draco goes quiet.
"So Hermione… Now that you're out of Healer training, how has Mungo's been treating you?" Harry asks nervously, trying to deflect the topic.
"Splendid! I feel so much more useful at Mungo's than I ever did in that year at the ministry. Plus, it's easier when Seamus comes home from the joke shop injured or toting along an injured George. Merlin knows how much they need a 24/4 healer following them around."
"I resent that!" Seamus says smiling. Draco rolls his eyes.
"Please, Seamus, even during Hogwarts you went in and out of the hospital wing every day. Now at least, you're putting your explosions to good use."
"I was not in and out of the hospital wing every other day, Mr. Punched in the face by a thirteen year old girl." Seamus retorts putting an arm around my shoulder.
"I love you too, Shay." I tell him, giving him a kiss.
"My eyes, my eyes!" Draco moans. Harry picks up one of his chips and flicks it at him.
"You are such a drama-queen, Draco." Harry says with a chuckle.
"Am not." Draco responds pouting. Harry, Seamus, and I laugh.
"Seamus Finnigan, if you don't hurry up, we'll be late!" I yell. I'm sitting on the couch waiting for Seamus to come out of the bedroom. I pull my red Dress down a bit. Luna decided that the theme of Dean's birthday would be the Muggle story Alice in Wonderland. Once the others figured out what it was, they were all for it. I had chosen to dress up as the Red Queen, and Seamus, if he ever finished getting dressed, would be the March Hare. I checked my watch again.
"One second, dear!" I hear Seamus reply.
"And men claim that women take forever." I mutter to myself. I lean back into the couch and close my eyes before I hear a loud Bang. "Seamus, are you-" CRASH
"BLOODLY MOTHER OF MERLIN!" Seamus yells. I jump off the couch and run into the room. Seamus is in front of the wardrobe hopping around on one foot. The many boxes that were stacked on top of the wardrobe now lay at his feet. I place my hands on my hips.
"Shay, really? You know better than to slam the wardrobe doors." I sigh. "Sit down." Seamus sits on the edge of the bed. I mutter the correct spell and point my wand. One yelp from Seamus later and his bruises are gone. After replacing his sock, I stand up.
"Could you fix my tie please?" He asks. I nod and proceed to undo the tangled mess around his neck. "What would I do without you?"
" I have no idea." I tell him, smiling. He looks at me as I finish tying his tie and grabs my hand. He fingers my engagement ring before pulling me close.
"It's a good thing I'll never have to find out." Seamus murmurs before pulling me in for a kiss and apperating us to the party.
"Hermione, Seamus! So glad you could make it!" Luna, dressed as Alice, welcomes us.
" Wouldn't miss it for the world. It isn't every day that your best friend turns 25 you know. Man, he sure is aging fast. Soon he'll have gray hairs." Seamus says smiling. Gray hair is Dean's biggest fear.
"Shay, you're only a month younger than he is." I say rolling my eyes.
"Yes, but I wear it well." Seamus says, flipping invisible long hair over his shoulder. Dean, who heard the last part of the conversation throws an arm around Seamus.
"Please Seamus. If it weren't for Hermione, you'd have more scars than Charlie, I can tell you that." He laughs.
"Too true. Why just before we got here, she fixed my foot up after the boxes on top our wardrobe took a tumble." The boys walk off, discussing everything that's changed since they met for lunch yesterday and Luna walks closer to me.
"I've got food and drinks in the kitchen. Ginny and Audrey are already there, though Ginny might have devoured them all." Luna says. It's been a running joke throughout Ginny's pregnancy that she's been eating more than Ron. I laugh.
"Suppose we'd better hurry then."
"Can you believe it?" Luna grins. "It's been almost eight years since the War. I can't believe how much has happened since. I mean everyone saw Draco and Harry coming, but you and Seamus? We'd never even considered it, yet, now, I can't imagine it any other way."
"Honestly Luna, I can't either." I admit and it's true. She's right also. I never even glanced at Seamus until after the war. Even then, it wasn't until Luna and Dean started dating that I really saw him in that light at all. Our relationship had started when I was an intern at St. Mungo's. Seamus had started working at George's shop, where I often visited, if only to heal the various injuries that he and his employees accumulated with each day. Seamus had been the worst of all of them, what with his Pyro tendencies. Still, once Luna and Dean started dating, we saw each other more often.
We'd only had a timid relationship up until then, but it quickly turned into something more when he saw me crying over my break up with Terry Boot. After that we were close as could be. I told him about my relationship with my parents, which was strained after the Australia incident, and he told me about his dad, who left when he was little.
Seamus and I weren't what most called a normal couple, mainly because until he proposed to me, we weren't a couple at all. In fact, we skipped right from friendship to engaged. This surprised all of my friends, who never thought I would even consider a guy like Seamus. They were especially surprised simply because I said yes. Apparently, I wasn't a very spontaneous person. It was true. Something about Seamus, though, made me feel like I could do anything, so I threw away my logic and made the best choice I'd ever made and I was happy.
"But you know what couple's the biggest shocker of them all?" She clapped happily. I shook my head. "Ron and Millicent Bulstrode. Now that's the couple of the year, wouldn't you say?"
"Luna, they've been married for two years now."
"Yes, but they can still be couple of the year." Luna paused. "Wait, no, I've got it. Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. They only got married yesterday at the burrow."
"Mmm." I hum, deciding not to comment on this particular thought. I don't bother to remind Luna that it wasn't a real marriage and that they had gotten divorced a few hours after the wedding, when Teddy wouldn't share his dessert with his new bride. We reach the kitchen, and Luna waves at Ginny, who's sitting at the table crying.
"What's wrong?" I ask her, and she lets out a heart wrenching sob.
"I can't find him anywhere!" Ginny whales. "He's gone. I bet he's leaving me because I'm fat!"
"Firstly, Neville is in the Garden with Harry. Secondly, he's not going to leave you. All he's been talking about these past few months is how beautiful you look pregnant and what names you're going to give the child. He loves you."
"You think?" She sniffles, calming down.
"We know." Luna says. "Come on, let's go back to the party. I'm sure Dean is dying to open his presents."
"Okay." Ginny stands up, feeling better. We grab various sandwiches and appetizers before we head out to the party. As I walk back to the party with a tray in my hands, I glance at my ring. It isn't really the life any of us predicted we would be living eight years after the war, but honestly? It was perfect. And it was absolutely, 100% never boring.