Starbucks Coffee?
Chapter Two of Out of Place
**This story is dedicated to my newly-recruited beta-reader, Elf-boy.**
Ginny awoke to the sound of an unusually loud vacuum cleaner.
"What?" she asked.
The vacuum cleaner stopped making that terrible noise.
"Why, Miss Weasley, I thought you would never wake up, the way you slept. It seems you finally did," said Harry's housekeeper, Aunt Claire.
"Where am I?" Ginny asked, ignoring the cliché in their conversation.
"You don't remember?" Aunt Claire asked.
Ginny concentrated for a moment. "Oh yeah. this is Harry's apartment- where's Harry?"
Aunt Claire shook her head. "Mister Potter, went out to look for someone, he came back smiling and he's still asleep on the sofa right now."
Ginny was surprised. "But this house- doesn't it have a spare room? I mean. looking at the trinkets and the wood panels and the..." she trailed off, suddenly aware of the spotless white sheets around her and the unbelievably (compared to the airport bench) soft bed.
"Mister Potter never liked big houses. He likes it snug and cozy. That's why he decided on this house. It's the smallest in the whole building," came the reply.
"But where do you sleep, then?" Ginny asked, astonished.
"I go home, don't I?" Aunt Claire snorted.
"Oh," Ginny said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"So what do you want for your breakfast, young lady? A bit of egg maybe, and toast? Or muffins?" Aunt Claire rattled off the list of things she had.
"I. umn." Ginny began.
"I think Miss Weasley wouldn't mind going out for some authentic American coffee, would she?" Harry's voice interrupted Ginny. "Anyway, your nephew was safely back in the Burrow when I went to look for Ron. It seems that your senses were muddled. Ron and Hermione took him home."
Ginny grinned. "Sorry."
"Why, Mister Potter, you're awake! How was your night?" Aunt Claire asked sarcastically. "And I hope you won't give her that horrible stuff on an empty stomach, or I will truly neglect your underwear for a month."
Harry turned pink, while Ginny started laughing.
"You- you mean she does your underwear?" Ginny snorted.
"Not anymore, I don't. Not from today onwards, I think," Aunt Claire quipped dryly.
Harry shook his head and muttered, "Women."
Ginny and Aunt Claire started laughing again.
.
Half an hour later, at the local Starbucks, Ginny sipped some steaming cappuccino, while Harry made a face at his too-bitter coffee.
"Don't really drink this stuff- too bitter for me," Harry said, pouring in another packet of sugar.
Ginny smiled. "Wasn't it your idea to come here after breakfast?" she asked.
Harry looked away. "Well- yeah. but I haven't been really a coffee fan- unlike you. I remember when I was in seventh year and you were in sixth, you were addicted to coffee. It was really strong- I didn't even dare to smell it."
Ginny grinned. "I bewitched it, didn't you know? Hermione taught me the strongest magical brew ever. After one cup, I couldn't sleep for the whole night. That stuff is potent."
Harry shuddered. "I think I'll stick to this," he said, gingerly taking another sip of his much-sweetened coffee.
"So." said Harry, trying to change the subject. "How's life for you? Bad? Good? And how's your love life?"
Ginny shook her head. "Ron's been forcing pocket money on me. For goodness' sake! I have a /job/, and I'm /paid/!"
"Then tell him, Ginny."
"Doesn't listen. Thinks he's doing me a favour."
Harry shrugged. "Love life?" he asked again.
Ginny smiled bitterly. "Terrible. I've only dated one guy in my life. Two, actually."
Harry was curious. "Who?"
"Draco Malfoy. And-" Ginny couldn't finish the sentence.
Harry spat out his coffee, fortunately not in Ginny's direction. "Malfoy?" he asked incredulously. Although Malfoy had turned spy for Dumbledore during the Dark War, he and Harry were still arch nemeses, and they never missed a chance to set each other up. But Harry had not seen Malfoy for two years now, since he partially left the wizarding world.
"What's so bad about him?" Ginny asked sternly. "There were some things." she then trailed off, not wanting to say any more.
"Well." Harry did not trust himself to speak, lest he said something that would anger Ginny. "And the other guy?"
Ginny giggled. "Why, you of course! Who else?"
Harry remained nonplussed. "Umn, when did I do that?"
Ginny, blushing furiously, retorted, "Right now, of course."
Harry blushed equally furiously. "Umn, yeah. Right now, I guess."
A silence followed. Harry stared at Ginny's bright brown eyes, and she looked away.
Finally, they both broke the silence at the same time when they both said, "I think we should make a move now."
They burst out laughing.
.
How was that? I really want to dedicate this chapter to Elf-boy, my recently-returned-from-New-Zealand friend, who is now my always-snorting beta reader. By the way, one of my faithful reviewers, asked me why Ginny was so overly dependant on her family. You'll find out sometime soon. And to Ravenwise, I'll try to go faster if the reviews hit twenty for this chappie. Please. Click that button that says "go". Do that and make my day!! Please!!
**This story is dedicated to my newly-recruited beta-reader, Elf-boy.**
Ginny awoke to the sound of an unusually loud vacuum cleaner.
"What?" she asked.
The vacuum cleaner stopped making that terrible noise.
"Why, Miss Weasley, I thought you would never wake up, the way you slept. It seems you finally did," said Harry's housekeeper, Aunt Claire.
"Where am I?" Ginny asked, ignoring the cliché in their conversation.
"You don't remember?" Aunt Claire asked.
Ginny concentrated for a moment. "Oh yeah. this is Harry's apartment- where's Harry?"
Aunt Claire shook her head. "Mister Potter, went out to look for someone, he came back smiling and he's still asleep on the sofa right now."
Ginny was surprised. "But this house- doesn't it have a spare room? I mean. looking at the trinkets and the wood panels and the..." she trailed off, suddenly aware of the spotless white sheets around her and the unbelievably (compared to the airport bench) soft bed.
"Mister Potter never liked big houses. He likes it snug and cozy. That's why he decided on this house. It's the smallest in the whole building," came the reply.
"But where do you sleep, then?" Ginny asked, astonished.
"I go home, don't I?" Aunt Claire snorted.
"Oh," Ginny said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"So what do you want for your breakfast, young lady? A bit of egg maybe, and toast? Or muffins?" Aunt Claire rattled off the list of things she had.
"I. umn." Ginny began.
"I think Miss Weasley wouldn't mind going out for some authentic American coffee, would she?" Harry's voice interrupted Ginny. "Anyway, your nephew was safely back in the Burrow when I went to look for Ron. It seems that your senses were muddled. Ron and Hermione took him home."
Ginny grinned. "Sorry."
"Why, Mister Potter, you're awake! How was your night?" Aunt Claire asked sarcastically. "And I hope you won't give her that horrible stuff on an empty stomach, or I will truly neglect your underwear for a month."
Harry turned pink, while Ginny started laughing.
"You- you mean she does your underwear?" Ginny snorted.
"Not anymore, I don't. Not from today onwards, I think," Aunt Claire quipped dryly.
Harry shook his head and muttered, "Women."
Ginny and Aunt Claire started laughing again.
.
Half an hour later, at the local Starbucks, Ginny sipped some steaming cappuccino, while Harry made a face at his too-bitter coffee.
"Don't really drink this stuff- too bitter for me," Harry said, pouring in another packet of sugar.
Ginny smiled. "Wasn't it your idea to come here after breakfast?" she asked.
Harry looked away. "Well- yeah. but I haven't been really a coffee fan- unlike you. I remember when I was in seventh year and you were in sixth, you were addicted to coffee. It was really strong- I didn't even dare to smell it."
Ginny grinned. "I bewitched it, didn't you know? Hermione taught me the strongest magical brew ever. After one cup, I couldn't sleep for the whole night. That stuff is potent."
Harry shuddered. "I think I'll stick to this," he said, gingerly taking another sip of his much-sweetened coffee.
"So." said Harry, trying to change the subject. "How's life for you? Bad? Good? And how's your love life?"
Ginny shook her head. "Ron's been forcing pocket money on me. For goodness' sake! I have a /job/, and I'm /paid/!"
"Then tell him, Ginny."
"Doesn't listen. Thinks he's doing me a favour."
Harry shrugged. "Love life?" he asked again.
Ginny smiled bitterly. "Terrible. I've only dated one guy in my life. Two, actually."
Harry was curious. "Who?"
"Draco Malfoy. And-" Ginny couldn't finish the sentence.
Harry spat out his coffee, fortunately not in Ginny's direction. "Malfoy?" he asked incredulously. Although Malfoy had turned spy for Dumbledore during the Dark War, he and Harry were still arch nemeses, and they never missed a chance to set each other up. But Harry had not seen Malfoy for two years now, since he partially left the wizarding world.
"What's so bad about him?" Ginny asked sternly. "There were some things." she then trailed off, not wanting to say any more.
"Well." Harry did not trust himself to speak, lest he said something that would anger Ginny. "And the other guy?"
Ginny giggled. "Why, you of course! Who else?"
Harry remained nonplussed. "Umn, when did I do that?"
Ginny, blushing furiously, retorted, "Right now, of course."
Harry blushed equally furiously. "Umn, yeah. Right now, I guess."
A silence followed. Harry stared at Ginny's bright brown eyes, and she looked away.
Finally, they both broke the silence at the same time when they both said, "I think we should make a move now."
They burst out laughing.
.
How was that? I really want to dedicate this chapter to Elf-boy, my recently-returned-from-New-Zealand friend, who is now my always-snorting beta reader. By the way, one of my faithful reviewers, asked me why Ginny was so overly dependant on her family. You'll find out sometime soon. And to Ravenwise, I'll try to go faster if the reviews hit twenty for this chappie. Please. Click that button that says "go". Do that and make my day!! Please!!
