disclaimer: (sorry, I forgot in the intro) anything you recognize, belongs to JKR, anything else is mine
authors note: great big thanks and chocolate kisses to my reviewer, you rock!
Harry brought me down the street to a rather unimpressive building front. The front door led us into the tap room of The Leaky Cauldron. As Harry walked in a buxom blond woman waved from behind the bar. "Hello, Hannah!" Harry shouted from across the tap room. He led me over to the bar, and introduced us. "Glinda Goode," he said to me, "this is Hannah Longbottom, an old friend and the owner of the Leaky Cauldron."
"My pleasure, " I said, smiling, with my lips closed, didn't want to make a bad first impression.
"So", Hannah said, returning my smile, "this is the new teacher from the States? We've got a room all set for her. You can take her straight up the landing to room number 6." Hannah handed me an ornate looking key, with a '6' stamped on it. "Any baggage you need a hand with?"
"No thanks," I said, "I'm all set."
"Glinda," Harry said as I turned to go up the stairs, "I've arranged for Charlie to meet us for lunch in thirty minutes. Afterwards, we'll both escort you to Gringotts to settle your vault there, then Charlie will escort you around."
"That sounds wonderful," I said, still a bit reluctant to spend the afternoon under the watchful eye of a dragonologist. "I'm going to freshen up a bit, I'll be down in a few, if you don't mind."
"Oh, certainly, freshen up at will."
I followed the stairs up to a door with a brass plaque with a big "6" on it. The room I'd been given for the next two nights was quite nice by anyone's standards, decorated in comforting earthy colors. The canopied bed in the corner looked quite soft and comfortable. There was a night stand next to the bed, with a lamp and a glass carafe of water. The writing desk near the window had a quill and ink ready. I could smell fresh air coming from the open window. I put my napsack on the luggage stand at the foot of the bed, and grabbed out my toilet kit, and headed for the bathroom I'd seen at the end of the hall. I spent a quick ten minutes in the bath washing up and changing into clothing more appropriate for the late summer weather. I changed into khaki capris and my favorite Mickey Mouse t-shirt.(I really appreciated the irony of a mouse in a wizard hat).
I was downstairs and ready in twenty five minutes. Harry was at a table in the corner in animated conversation with a man with shaggy flaming red hair sitting across from him. I assumed that was his dragonologist brother-in-law. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," I said with a tight smile. Harry and his companion stood up, and the red head pulled out a chair. "Thank you," I said, as I sat down.
"Glinda," Harry introduced us. "This is my brother-in-law, and head of the ministry's department of magical creatures, Charlie Weasley."
"Hello, Mr. Weasley," I said, offering my hand. "Please, call me Glinda."
"Mr. Weasley is my father, Glinda, please call me Charlie." In stead of shaking my hand he kissed it. He was not what I expected of a scholar. He obviously spent a lot of his time outside, and he
kept himself in shape, about half a foot taller than my five foot four. He looked to be about my own age, give or take. He had a neat goatee, and very white teeth. His eyes were a dark brownish green.
His nose looked like it had been broken once or twice. With a broad face and a stunning smile, he looked like someone I might want to spend time with, as long as he didn't think I was a study subject.
"I'm looking forward to our afternoon together," he said.
"Thank you, Charlie" I replied, then gave him a full toothed grin.
He blinked twice at my fangs, then said, "beautiful smile."
Harry coughed diplomatically and a cheerful waiter came over to take our order. I was looking forward to my first order of authentic English fish and chips. Although the poor chap looked a bit confused when I ordered a Coke. "It's a muggle drink," Harry explained to the fellow, "I'm pretty sure Hannah must have a bottle or two stashed behind the bar."