They headed across the courtyard to the Common building and hurried inside,
the smell of curry and spices greeting them as they entered along with a
warmth that settled in their bones and made them forget the cold outside.
They went to the lunch counter and each ordered a ham sandwich, a chicken
soup, and a goblet of pumpkin juice. They paid for their lunch and took a
booth by a window settling across form each other and setting their cloaks
aside. Charlie smiled nibbling at his sandwich and looked over at his best
friend. She smiled back over her chicken soup. Perry had been his best
friend since his first year here and he cared for her in such a deep way,
that, even after eight years, he still didn't have the nerve to tell her.
He had fallen in love with her spirit, her intelligence, her heart, and
virtually everything about her; even her bad habit of fussing with her
nails and hair when she's nervous. She flushed and ducked her head then
looked up at him with a smile,
"Why are you looking at me like that? What's up?" He shook his head and blinked, blushing a bit. He had been staring at her for too long with a stupid grin on his face.
"Um.... nothing. I just realized... that you are wearing the hair pin I gave you and I was remembering.... the night I gave it to you." He smiled sheepishly and began to eat his soup so quickly that it burned his tongue. She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed.
"O-o-okay, if you say so Charlie. Be careful you're going to burn yourself," she looked pointedly at him. He grimaced and drank some juice. "Too late" he gasped. She let out a peal of laughter and grinned at him with an I-told-you-so-look. He grinned back and threw a balled-up napkin at her. She laughed and threw it back, then sobered and gave a quick look around, leaning in so he could hear her.
"Heard anything from Dumbledore or any of the Order?" He shook his head, "No. Not since Harry's been home. Things have been quiet. A few scuffles here and there but old You-Know-Who has been keeping quiet." He looked at his sandwich with a sigh, and stuffed the rest of it in his mouth. She nodded and finished her sandwich. They were both part of the Order of the Phoenix, based in London, at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London. It was headed by Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the age. This secret order fought against the darkest wizard of the age, Lord Voldemort. Many people were afraid to speak his name, for even that invoked fear, so they referred to him as You-Know-Who or "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named". He smiled at her as she stretched and reached for her cloak, reveling in the beauty of her movements. She grinned at him again and put on her earmuffs.
"I should get back to my desk. Thanks for lunch. It was great, as usual." She flushed a bit then kissed his cheek and headed out, wrapping her cloak around her. Charlie smiled and placed his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. He felt the need rising within him to tell her how he felt. He hurriedly put his cloak on and hurried outside.
"Hey Perry! Um... how about coming over for dinner and a game of wizard's chess tonight? That is, if you are not doing anything." He added hastily. She smiled and nodded, "At the usual time then?" He nodded happily, and then headed to the mountainside, a clipboard with parchment attached appearing in his hand. He then looked up suddenly. Oh no! He has to figure out what to cook for dinner!!
Six hours later..................................
Charlie looked up from stirring the tomato-basil-onion sauce at the soft knocking on the door. "Come on in, Perry. The door's open" He smiled at her as she entered, bringing with her a bottle of red wine. "I figured you might like some wine with the pasta." He had told her that he was making ziti with tomato-garlic sauce and garlic bread, knowing it was one of her favorite dishes. She had grinned and told him she'd be bringing the complimentary beverage, even though he kept telling her not to trouble herself. He smiled, "Thanks, just put it in the ice bucket on the table." She nodded and looked at the table setting. He had lit candles and made the table really nice for their dinner. She nodded in appreciation and hung her cloak on a peg by the door. "Dinner's almost ready, Perry. Just take a seat and make yourself comfortable." She nodded and sat at the table hands folded, watching him putter around his small kitchen. All the apartments are pretty standard. They came already furnished with a couch, a coffee table, and some armchairs near with some end tables beside them holding candleholders. They hold one bedroom having been furnished with one full-sized bed, a chest of drawers, a mirror, a bookcase and a reading chair. They also hold a desk and a perch for a pet owl if the inhabitant owned one. The kitchen held a stove, a table with two chairs and a sink. It also held a cooling box (like a fridge, except run by magic). Charlie's apartment was decorated with pictures of his family zooming around their pictures, as well as some Quidditch pictures. There are also some other sculptures and such that Perry had picked out for him as a housewarming. Her apartment had some stationary pictures and had stars, moon, and planetary decorations, as well as other Muggle items from her home back in the States. Her snow owl, Horus, was also perched at her home. Perry grinned at him, "Want me to pour the wine?" He nods as he begins to place the pasta on the plates and pour sauce over them, and then places the basket of garlic bread pieces on the table between them. Then takes a seat as she places the two glasses of wine before the plates. "Hmmm... This looks delicious, Charlie" she nods approvingly as she sits before him taking a piece of bread. They laughed and spoke about the rest of their day and about families throughout the dinner, joking about what large families they came from. When they finished, she smiled as she stood and started to clear the dishes from the meal. He took her hand and held it, "Don't worry about it. There's something important I need to say to you." With a quizzical look she nodded and he led her to the couch and sat her down, still holding her hands.
"Perry, I have wanted to say this for a long time. You and I have been friends for seven years or so and well...." He looked down, his face flushed and it all came out in one breath, "Perry, I have fallen in love with you."
"Why are you looking at me like that? What's up?" He shook his head and blinked, blushing a bit. He had been staring at her for too long with a stupid grin on his face.
"Um.... nothing. I just realized... that you are wearing the hair pin I gave you and I was remembering.... the night I gave it to you." He smiled sheepishly and began to eat his soup so quickly that it burned his tongue. She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed.
"O-o-okay, if you say so Charlie. Be careful you're going to burn yourself," she looked pointedly at him. He grimaced and drank some juice. "Too late" he gasped. She let out a peal of laughter and grinned at him with an I-told-you-so-look. He grinned back and threw a balled-up napkin at her. She laughed and threw it back, then sobered and gave a quick look around, leaning in so he could hear her.
"Heard anything from Dumbledore or any of the Order?" He shook his head, "No. Not since Harry's been home. Things have been quiet. A few scuffles here and there but old You-Know-Who has been keeping quiet." He looked at his sandwich with a sigh, and stuffed the rest of it in his mouth. She nodded and finished her sandwich. They were both part of the Order of the Phoenix, based in London, at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London. It was headed by Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the age. This secret order fought against the darkest wizard of the age, Lord Voldemort. Many people were afraid to speak his name, for even that invoked fear, so they referred to him as You-Know-Who or "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named". He smiled at her as she stretched and reached for her cloak, reveling in the beauty of her movements. She grinned at him again and put on her earmuffs.
"I should get back to my desk. Thanks for lunch. It was great, as usual." She flushed a bit then kissed his cheek and headed out, wrapping her cloak around her. Charlie smiled and placed his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. He felt the need rising within him to tell her how he felt. He hurriedly put his cloak on and hurried outside.
"Hey Perry! Um... how about coming over for dinner and a game of wizard's chess tonight? That is, if you are not doing anything." He added hastily. She smiled and nodded, "At the usual time then?" He nodded happily, and then headed to the mountainside, a clipboard with parchment attached appearing in his hand. He then looked up suddenly. Oh no! He has to figure out what to cook for dinner!!
Six hours later..................................
Charlie looked up from stirring the tomato-basil-onion sauce at the soft knocking on the door. "Come on in, Perry. The door's open" He smiled at her as she entered, bringing with her a bottle of red wine. "I figured you might like some wine with the pasta." He had told her that he was making ziti with tomato-garlic sauce and garlic bread, knowing it was one of her favorite dishes. She had grinned and told him she'd be bringing the complimentary beverage, even though he kept telling her not to trouble herself. He smiled, "Thanks, just put it in the ice bucket on the table." She nodded and looked at the table setting. He had lit candles and made the table really nice for their dinner. She nodded in appreciation and hung her cloak on a peg by the door. "Dinner's almost ready, Perry. Just take a seat and make yourself comfortable." She nodded and sat at the table hands folded, watching him putter around his small kitchen. All the apartments are pretty standard. They came already furnished with a couch, a coffee table, and some armchairs near with some end tables beside them holding candleholders. They hold one bedroom having been furnished with one full-sized bed, a chest of drawers, a mirror, a bookcase and a reading chair. They also hold a desk and a perch for a pet owl if the inhabitant owned one. The kitchen held a stove, a table with two chairs and a sink. It also held a cooling box (like a fridge, except run by magic). Charlie's apartment was decorated with pictures of his family zooming around their pictures, as well as some Quidditch pictures. There are also some other sculptures and such that Perry had picked out for him as a housewarming. Her apartment had some stationary pictures and had stars, moon, and planetary decorations, as well as other Muggle items from her home back in the States. Her snow owl, Horus, was also perched at her home. Perry grinned at him, "Want me to pour the wine?" He nods as he begins to place the pasta on the plates and pour sauce over them, and then places the basket of garlic bread pieces on the table between them. Then takes a seat as she places the two glasses of wine before the plates. "Hmmm... This looks delicious, Charlie" she nods approvingly as she sits before him taking a piece of bread. They laughed and spoke about the rest of their day and about families throughout the dinner, joking about what large families they came from. When they finished, she smiled as she stood and started to clear the dishes from the meal. He took her hand and held it, "Don't worry about it. There's something important I need to say to you." With a quizzical look she nodded and he led her to the couch and sat her down, still holding her hands.
"Perry, I have wanted to say this for a long time. You and I have been friends for seven years or so and well...." He looked down, his face flushed and it all came out in one breath, "Perry, I have fallen in love with you."