Hello
Author's Note: This is going to be short, I'm a bit doped up on Nyquil but wanted to write!
The bell jangled over the door, indicating somebody had stepped in. He could have swore he turned the sign to close. The clock on the wall behind the counter read "8:00 p.m." and that's when they closed down. So why the hell was this person coming in? Looking up, he was about to say "go away" and something along the lines of "Can't you read?" but was cut short by a single word "Hello."
Standing there was a young woman, the greeting she had uttered did not sound like anybody from the United Kingdom. Didn't sound like a northern accent, a southern one, or any other European one he had heard of. It sounded…American? Maybe. She wasn't anything spectacular to look at. Truth be told he had seen more attractive women during his travels. However, it was the way her dark hair stood out against her bright blue pea coat, her skin was pale, freckles dotting her nose and cheeks. She was short, only coming up to about his shoulders. If you looked close enough, you could see a small, white line just barely visible above the top of her coat, along her neck. A scar maybe?
The young woman noticed him staring and shifted uncomfortably. "Hello, I know the sign says close, but you're the only store with the light on, and I was just wondering if you could tell me where the Leaky Cauldron is? As you can probably tell, I'm not from around here and I'm a bit lost." She said, offering him a small smile as she gave a small nod.
George simply nodded. "Of course. Actually, you're headed the wrong way. If you take a left when you walk out of the shop and go all the way back down the alley, it'll be on your right. Can't miss the giant cauldron sign. I'm Geroge Weasley by the way." He said.
"I guessed your last name was Weasley. Laurel McLaughlin." She said, reaching out her hand to shake his quickly. "Nice to meet you. Well…thanks. I appreciate it." She said, turning around to leave.
George watched her for a moment. "Wait, why don't I walk you down there? The alley can get a bit weird at night, you know, all those wizards and things getting drunk and walking around, causing a ruckus. Just let me grab my coat." He standing up, he glanced down at the parchment and sighed. He'd finish it tomorrow. Like he always did. Reaching for the black coat, he pulled it on, before walking towards her. "let's go, yeah?" he asked with a smile.
Laurel simply gave a small smie in return. "Thank you, that's very nice of you." She said, walking through the door as he opened it for her.
This would be the start of something. Neither of them knew it yet. It had all started with a simple hello.