A/N: Thanks for your enthusiam, everyone! You made my week. Here's the next one. x
Tuesday, 1st December 2009
As she enters the atrium, doing battle with her brolly and then her sodden anorak, the energy and joy of the conversation in the church catches her attention – the members of her choir aren't normally this animated.
"Look who it is!" someone calls and laughs loudly.
"It's Al. Hey everyone, it's Al!"
"Al, good of you to join us." "Finally!" "Must be Christmas. Al's here," several voices greet the newcomer before it becomes impossible to distinguish any of them from the babble of conversation that's erupted. She wonders who Al is and can't help looking for him as she slips into the church.
Most of the members of her choir are clustered around a man of average height, with quite broad shoulders who has his back towards her and appears to be thriving on all the attention, but as she approaches unseen, she finds her steps slowing, a feeling of apprehension welling up as she realises that there's something familiar about him, his build and the way he holds himself. Before she can puzzle it out, however, Derek spots her – one of the choir's tenors and her biggest fan here. In truth, Derek's been trying to chat her up since practically her first day.
"Grace," he smiles. "Glad you made it. Dreadful weather, isn't it? How are you?"
"Hi, Derek. I'm fine," she replies, her eyes meeting his for a moment before sliding back to the mystery man behind him, who's now pulling off his woolly hat and smoothing down his hair.
The sight of the back of his head has her gasping in recognition. It can't be. Surely that's not-
"Hey, Al," someone else says, "You don't know Grace, do you?" and, as he turns to face her, her worst fears are confirmed.
Harry! Harry here? Why? How? Did he follow me? But no. They all already know him. Her thoughts and emotions are a jumble of confusion as she watches his eyes widen almost imperceptibly in surprise before he smiles warmly and moves towards her.
"Do you know each other?" Derek asks, snapping her out of her stupor and forcing her to get her expression under control, knowing that the shocked disbelief she's feeling must be clearly visible on her face.
"I don't think so," Harry replies smoothly, moving closer and extending his hand towards her. She takes it instinctively, the warmth of his skin making hers tingle. "I'd have remembered," he adds in a low rumble, making her blush and drop her gaze.
"Really, Al," Simon, another of the choir members, laughs. "Don't mind him, Grace. He's a terrible flirt even if he is married with a gaggle of children at home. He's got all the ladies here eating out of the palm of his hand."