8.
Dumbledore tries
An interruption to everyone's scheming came a week or two after the last episode.
Arthur Weasley had a birthday.
Certainly that was not a phenomenal event, as he had one every year. But this year was special. Or at least it was to Dumbledore...who had an idea. Actually, half of the idea belonged to Pro. MacGonagall, but they had come to a wise decison that they should put the needs, and above all, the safety, of their former students before the possibility of winning the pot. So they had laid aside their temporary rivalry long enough to devise a plan...then had picked it back up long enough to get into an argument over whose idea it actually was.
At last they came to the agreement that if the plan did work, they would split the winnings, as well as the glory. All of this because Arthur had a birthday. It was a perfect birthday...and it offered a perfect excuse for Dumbledore to send Remus Lupin on a mission.
This was often Remus' lot in life, since the order couldn't send him on field work very often, ( for the fear of having the moon interrupt any fragile spying he might be performing.) so he was given lists and sent on trips to various locations. He had been sent shopping for potion supplies.( Snape simply adored having someone to boss around), broom wax, enchanted ink, owl treats floo powder, text books, and even the occasional more exotic and more difficult to locate Muggle objects such as Coca-Cola and pencils.
So it came as no surprise that two days before Arthur's birthday, Dumbledore handed him a rolled up scroll, tied with a blue ribbon.
" And what is this?
" A shopping list. For Arthur's birthday."
" It is rather obese for a shopping list."
" There are quite a few items listed. You see, it is everyone's list. Except your's of course. You will have to pick out your own gift tomorrow...when you go to London."
" London! Am I going to London?"
" Well, if it isn't too much trouble, and as soon as possible...I would go myself but.. you know how demanding things are around here...?"
" Of course..." Remus raised a brow, as if to say silently that he did not believe ' things ' were to awfully demanding... " Why London...if I might ask?"
" Most of the items on the list are, in fact, Muggle objects that Arthur seems to have a fascination with."
" Really, I do not believe I am the best person to send on such an errand" Remus laughed.
" Yes...well, that is why Ms. Granger is to accompany you."
"Ms...Hermione? I wouldn't want to be a bother to her. I am certain she is too busy to be bothered with such an affair. I mean, event. " he blushed. Had he just said ''affair ''? when thinking of Hermione?
" I am certain she would very much enjoy such an affair. I belive you underestimate Ms. Granger's sense of adventure."
" Did someone say my name?" Hermione came up to them, a smile heartily covering the lower half of her facial anatomy. Remus casually swept a glance across her, taking in her jeans, which were almost indecently tight, and her black blouse...which was depressingly loose and flowy. Not giving even a hint of what her upper torso might be doing underneath there. The fragrance of lavender surrounded him...and he felt suddenly more enthusastic about this excursion. He wouldn't mind taking a trip into the depths of Hades at the moment.
" Are you ready?" she asked him.
He blinked twice before catching onto her question. " Hmm? Oh, yes. Whenever you are."
They apparated into an alley in London.
" You really don't have to go through with this if you don't want to." said Hermione. " I tried to tell Professor Dumbledore that I could manage, and that he needn't harass you.'
" It's no bother."
" It doesn't make sense though, does it?" she was frowning a little as they walked out into the flow of pedestrians.
" What doesn't?" he asked,
" This 'errand ' I mean, it is almost like Dumbledore is hiding something. But I can't quite put my finger on what it might be. Let me see that scroll, please.."
She unrolled it, and they shared a simultaneous groan. The list rolled it all of the way down to the pavement, drawing a few surprised stares from passersby.
" Oh dear. This is going to take a lifetime! "
" What's on there"
" Erasers. Lemondrops. Batteries. Ashtrays. A stereo? Matches...a pencil sharpener." she sighed.
" How about we start with Ice Cream?" he suggested.
" "Marvelous idea. We'll kill a few hours, then just Accio the stuff on the list. " she grinned slyly.
" Hmmm...good point.We will just have to do it the hard way. Well, shall we?" she offered him her arm, and when they began striding purposefully down the sidewalk, she was hit with the hysterical image of a skewered Wizard of Oz scene, with a werewolf in the place of the Lion...
" What is so humorous?" he asked, catching her smirk.
" You don't want to know...trust me."
Despite the clever arrangement, which put Hermione and Remus in close proximity for hours, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. They spent the day, quite comfortable as friends, enjoying the sights of London, and the odd looks they received in some shops where they made purchases.
Hermione thought to herself at one point, that he was simply too handsome. Not in the traditional sense, of the word handsome, but to her he seemed nearly perfect. Distractingly so. In one store, a cheerful clerk with platinum curls even dared to flirt with him. Hermione wasn't really sure why that put her in a bad mood, but it was almost an hour later before she could speak to him again. After all he had smiled back at that cheap hussy, Really! And she would have given him credit for being more intelligent!
But he seemed indifferent to her disapproval, almost as if he were already upset about something, or preoccupied. Perhaps he didn't enjoy her company, she thought. well, she was perfectly used to that. Not like anything male ever made an effort to remain in her proximity for longer than a few minutes.
Actually Remus was thinking to himself that Hermione was too pretty to believe. The confident toss of her hair, the bounce in her step...that put just the right amount of jiggle in her body. Did she actually go places alone? He felt a surge of jealousy, coupled with a sudden anxiety for her safety. Did other people find her as attractive as he did? He watched everyone's reaction to her presence, and even though she rarely received a second glance, he felt personally offended by each look she did get. And that tourist who was ' just asking for directions '? Haha! Like that ploy hadn't been tried before! So what if the man had a wife with him, and a map, and a genuinely lost expression? He was also flirting...in that abrasive American fashion.
Hermione had been so eager to help too...of course. The man was handsome, tanned with a brilliant smile. Remus didn't even notice that he was glowering at the man in a maniacal fashion...or that the event had sent his exhilarated mood crashing to the earth, never to return.
Well, nothing new about that? He was used to being just the trustworthy companion, wasn't he? But really, she should have been less naive.
" Well. I guess this is everything. Unless there was anything else you wanted to look at." Hermione did not keep the bite completely out of the word look.
" No. I think I have seen enough of the city's...attractions." he almost spit out the word attractions.
And you are one to talk about looking at things...he thought of her.
I'll bet you have seen an eyeful...she thought back.
" Well! I don't believe that was as successful a venture as we might have hoped for, Albus..." Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise as Hermione dumped an armload of parcels on Dumbledore's desk, made a hasty excuse, and flooed back to her flat. A few minutes later Lupin appeared with another armload of parcels, and deposited them in a similar fashion on top of Hermione's packages.
" And how was your day?" Dumbledore inquired.
" Exhausting." Lupin said tersely. " This is everything, and they are all divided, and marked accordingly. I leave them in your care." he tried a tired smile.
" Thank you. This is most appreciated."
After Lupin's departure, Dumbledore and MacGonagall shared a look of amused exasperation.
" It seemed like a good idea yesterday." she offered.
" We can only hope for tomorrow. Lemon-drop?"