Bromance to Romance - 9. Glasses
Written in the Stars - 8. (color) sunset orange
Showtime - 2. Opening Up - (au) Coffee Shop
Lizzy's Loft - 10. Trouble - I guess it's now or never [bonus]
Elizabeth's Empire - 7. Mysterio: (word) illusion
Angel's Archive - 12. Sunset
Artist Appreciation - 12. Seeing Blind (with Marren Morris): / Prompt - (emotion) surprise / BONUS
Buttons - Word: apoplectic / Object: Watch / Actions whistling
Fight Club: (Scenario) "You're the cute and quiet customer that frequents the coffee shop where I'm a barista and also where my rival barista works and we're both fighting for your attention in increasingly creative and inconspicuous ways (making foam art, writing cheesy pick-up lines on your napkin etc. etc.)"
You just took me by surprise
James meets his son's best friend from University, and she's not what he expected at all. Coffee-shop!AU
The first time James sees Hermione, it's when his son Harry brings the woman to the coffee-shop that he's helping out at. He knows her name long before he lays eyes on her, because of how highly Harry talks about her, but he's just filed her name away with the other friends of Harrys, and not really thought anything more about it.
From what he knew already, she's already amazing. Harry is easily distracted, but Hermione is there, keeping him on track. Making him do his work. At university, it's important that Harry focus.
Harry does have a moan here and there, but James can read between the lines. Harry thinks she's amazing too, and he reminds Harry to show her that he appreciates her help, because he loves his son, but these things sometimes escape him.
When she walks into the coffee-shop, he doesn't link Hermione with the woman that's there. From the way Harry describes her, he's expecting a quiet, mousey woman (not that there's anything wrong with that) but it's just the vision he's built up over the time that Harry has known her. This woman has wild curls falling around her shoulders, and is wearing a sunset-orange cardigan and jeans, with her university bag slung over her shoulder.
When Harry heads over to the counter, James has to give his son a nudge. "Who have you got there?" he asks. He knows it's not his son's girlfriend, because Harry very much swings for the other team.
"Oh. That's Hermione," Harry says, in a tone that means that James should have realised already. But James can't comprehend this. Hermione is stunning, and why didn't Harry bring her here sooner?
"What are you having?" Remus asks, walking over. James is preoccupied and doesn't pay attention to his son, but Harry is quickly distracted by conversation with Remus. He only snaps his attention back to Harry when the drinks are made and ready to be brought over.
"Here. Take this over. On the house." James puts a plate with two pieces of cake onto the tray.
"Cool, thanks," Harry says. He picks up the tray and heads across to where Hermione is.
"She's twenty-one," he mutters. "Much too young."
"Twenty-two," Remus quietly points out, coming to stand next to him. "You were married at her age."
"I lost my wife before I was her age," James mutters, a little bitterly.
"You did," Remus confirms. "Isn't it time you moved on?"
The woman reaches for one of the plates, a smile on her lips, and Harry points back towards the till. Honey-coloured eyes move to him, and Hermione beams in his direction. James grins back, and he's captivated by that smile.
"You're supposed to be the voice of reason," he says, turning towards Remus. "You're the sensible one. It's clearly just an illusion, because you're quite the opposite. Is this opposite day? Where's your husband?"
"Our husband is upstairs, painting," Remus jokes.
"I need to borrow him."
Remus nods. "Yeah, you go right ahead."
James hopes that Sirius plans to be the level-headed one, but he's very wrong. Sirius and Remus are pretty much in agreement.
James glares at Dave. The dude isn't all that bad. Okay. Yes, he is. James tries to get along with him, but he just irritates the hell out of James, and Sirius.
Remus is very much a 'lets give him another chance' sort of bloke, which James has to respect, though he's just seen Dave draw a little heart on Hermione's take-out cup, and he's fuming. He's completely apoplectic at the other man.
This is war. This is getting involved in Marauder business, and getting involved means that Remus has to take his side. It's in the rules that they came up with as teenagers, which have proven to be (mostly) flawless.
When she comes in after that, early in her meeting with Harry, James knows that he's got to step up and do something because if he doesn't, she might fall for Dave. He's very blond, a bit muscular. A bit too muscular in James' opinion. Sirius agrees with him, especially in front of Remus, as though Remus would ever doubt Sirius' utmost devotion to him. But it does get him in Remus' good books. Sirius thinks that's because he's proving himself. James knows it's because Remus is just so amused by the behaviour, and that Sirius is still trying to prove himself after so many years together.
He draws a little heart in her drink, before setting it on the tray. She's so busy chatting to Remus, she doesn't see him do it, but the slight redness to her cheeks as she smiles at both of them and thanks them doesn't go unnoticed. He watches her until she sits down, and when she does reach for her drink and sees the heart, her smile widens.
Her gaze moves up to the counter, towards him, but James is quick to pretend he's doing something else.
Take that, Dave, he thinks to himself. He's sure that Dave didn't make Hermione blush.
Dave gets her again with the take-away drink, and James side-eyes him, annoyed that he wasn't prepared when Hermione turned up five minutes early. He watches out of the corner of his eye as Dave writes on her cup.
'Is your name Earl Grey? Because you look like a hot-tea.'
That is the worst pick-up line that James has ever heard. In fact, he's the king of pick-up lines. Or, well, he was once. He's sure he still has his skills, so he decides to try something better. Maybe just a cute compliment, and he certainly wouldn't use the word 'hottie' or a play on it for a woman like Hermione.
'You're brew-ti-ful'
He writes it on the napkin and sets it on the plate alongside her hot-chocolate, and for good measure, he adds two extra flakes.
"Drop them into the hot-chocolate," he suggests. "Trust me."
She goes to speak, but her eyes fall on the napkin and she blushes again. "Thank you… uh, Mr. Potter."
"James," he tells her, because that is way too formal, and certainly reminds him of his age.
"James," she repeats softly. "Do you own this place?"
"Along with my friend, Remus," James says. "I haven't seen you in here before - until you came in with Harry, of course."
"Oh. I used to go elsewhere. But…" her eyes linger on James and she bites her lip. "Well, I found I like this place so much more!"
"I'm glad. Well, I better get back to… but you're welcome here anytime."
Hermione shoots him one last smile and walks over to her usual table, and James tries not stare after her.
"She likes you," Remus murmurs. "Any fool can see that. Just ask her out."
"She's Harry's friend," James mutters. "I can't. Wouldn't that be weird? One of his best friends dating his father?"
Remus doesn't answer for a few minutes, and it's quiet as they serve customers. Hermione is gone by the time the lunch-time rush is over.
"Harry wants you to be happy," Remus finally says. "He worries about you. And she's in her twenties. You know as well as anyone that twenty-two is grown up."
James nods his head. "I'll talk to Harry."
His son finds it hilarious that James has a crush on Hermione. Part of James wanted Harry to disapprove so that he had a reason not to pursue her. He's scared. Apart from a handful of dates over the last four or five years, James hasn't really tried. Not until he laid eyes on Hermione Granger, that is. Now he really wants to try. He's scared. This is a scary thought, dating again.
But Dave is there, writing out another rubbish pick-up line, once which Hermione pointedly ignores. Her gaze moves to James a few times, and the pair share a few smiles before she leaves, and James curses himself for not being brave enough to go and talk to her.
He blames it on the customers that are lining up, but it's his own panic.
She returns that same day, ten minutes before they lock the door. A customer leaves, holding the door for her, and James doesn't realise that she's even there for a minute. He's busy giving his glasses a wipe after cleaning the tables and getting the place ready to close. He's whistling a song that had been playing earlier and that was stuck in his head, and considering what meal to chuck in the microwave when he gets home.
He looks up when Hermione lets out a slight cough, and he can't help but smile. She looks like she has a purpose.
"Hermione," he murmurs. "You're not here for a drink."
"I'm not," she admits. "Let me be blunt, James. Harry is under the impression that you're romantically interested in me. I just wanted… to check."
"The foam-art and napkins should contain your answer," James says gently. "Are you overthinking this, or are you worried you've got the wrong impression?"
"Both," she admits.
"I am very much interested," he says. "I just wanted to make sure you're interested too, because I'm in my forties. Early forties, that is! Is that something you're happy with?"
"I've considered that, and I'm very much interested myself," she admits. "But seeing as you haven't gotten around to asking me out yet. I'm free tonight. If… if you'd like to do something."
James' smile widens. "Coffee?" he jokes.
"I was thinking more along the lines of dinner. I know Harry has a date tonight, so thought since you're free…"
There's no point waiting for the date. They're both interested, and he feels like if he puts it off, he might never get the nerve for the date.
"If I wasn't free, I'd find a way to be, just so I could take you out," James tells her. "Dinner it is. Can you wait a few minutes while I lock up?" He glances at his watch and frowns. He wants to leave now, but there's still things to do.
"You crazy kids go on," Sirius says, stepping out of the stock room. "I'll lock up with Moony. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
James grabs his belongings and heads to the door, offering his arm to Hermione.
"Do I dare ask if there's a list of things he wouldn't do? From Harry, I get the impression…"
James snickers. "Sirius is a very much 'try it at least once' sort of guy," he tells her. "So. Is there anywhere you have in mind?"
"I was… I suppose, winging it," Hermione admits. "I was half-convinced you'd say no."
"Well, I have a great place in mind." He smiles down at her, and she returns his smile and for the first time in years, James is looking forward to going on a date.