Track Record
A HariPo drabble
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not to me. This pairing is a Mew and Mor's Weird Pairing, which you may find in the M&MWP forum (see my profile for details). Check out and join the forum FUN! Read, review, and enjoy! Written for Drabble Tag in the M&MWP forum; pairing: Audrey Weasley/Hermione Granger; prompt: open to interpretation.
- ^-^3
Angelina stuffed the rest of the pastry into her mouth. "'S gwea' we di' fis—" She paused, reddened, grabbed the rest of her things from her seat at the café with the two Muggle-born witches, and snatched the treat away. "I mean," she corrected after swallowing, "it's great we did this again. It's been too long, but—"
Hermione and Audrey both nodded. "We know, Angelina," Hermione told her. "You've still got five minutes, but it's all right. You're good to go."
Audrey sipped her tea. "You don't have to apologize every time you dash on us," she quipped a bit too bluntly. She ignored Hermione's fleeting look of disapproval as she enjoyed her drink.
But the raven-haired woman raised her eyebrows and looked between her sisters-in-law. "…sorry. It's just—with the tryouts—and I'm dying to play again, maybe coach later—"
"We know," Hermione repeated, a touch of exasperation leaking into her own tone. She pretended not to notice Audrey's little smile in response. Hermione focused on Angelina instead, shooing her along. "Good luck in Ballycastle."
"Thanks!"
"Oh! Angelina! Your—" She stopped short, since she and Audrey had brought her to a Muggle café.
But Angelina saw her wand on the ground, underneath her chair. She dove for it as though it were a Quaffle and came up without knocking her head on the chair's underside. She tucked the item into her sleeve with a shining grin. "If I can pull that off, I'll have this in the bag!"
"Only if you make it on time," Audrey reminded her.
Once more, the frazzled side of Angelina Johnson returned, and she dashed away. To the other café customers, Angelina was someone who'd simply left. To the trained ears of Hermione and Audrey, the distant POP behind the building was no doubt Angelina Disapparating home before she left for her pro Quidditch tryout.
"We really shouldn't try to arrange all three of us getting together anymore," Audrey stated with a shake of her head. She picked at the croissant on her own plate.
Hermione frowned and shook her head at Audrey. "It's been good for us, though, Aud. We—We each rather need it."
"Do we, though?" Audrey's tone wasn't acerbic, just defeated. Her gray eyes roved over Hermione, studying the younger witch's body language. "Think about it, Hermione. The seven-year itch sweeping through the family. No one saw it coming since Bill and Fleur are somehow still happily married. But first me and Percy. Then Angelina and George. And now you and Ron, last year."
Hermione's frown deepened, but she couldn't refute the history Audrey had laid out. "Ginny's knocking on every available piece of wood," she remarked softly.
Audrey briefly smiled. "I'd like to think she and Harry will be all right."
"And, if not, are we going to expand our little group?"
Audrey dropped her croissant to scoot her chair around the circular table closer to Hermione. She bumped shoulders with her. "Hey. Just because some family bonds became brittle doesn't mean others have to break. That was the original purpose of you and me and Angelina getting together so often. Chatting, discussing the kids, raising this ridiculously large family…" Audrey rolled her eyes. "I don't know how we managed to meet up as often as we used to, to be quite honest."
Her attitude finally brought a tiny smile to Hermione's face. "That's fair. Even when I've thought Ange had stopped coming, it's been a relief, still meeting up with you."
"That's because I've got the same kind of sensible head you do." Audrey's slow smile was mischievous. "How narcissistic, Ms. Granger."
Hermione laughed. "First time I've been accused of that."
Audrey patted Hermione's hand, leaving her fingers there for a rest, and sipped her tea. "And I compared myself to the Wizarding world's greatest hero witch. We're all a little full of it."
Hermione's smile didn't fade. But Audrey's hand did draw her attention to her watch. "Oh! Ange wasn't the only one running behind—I've got to get back to the office myself."
"Oh." Audrey set her tea down and followed Hermione with her eyes. "So soon?"
"Sorry, Aud." Hermione left some quid on the table, checked for her own wand on her person, and unfolded the cloak she'd draped on the back of her chair. She pecked Audrey's cheek—then froze. She'd never done that before. Hermione blinked and stared at Audrey.
Audrey blinked and stared back. Her lips popped open in a little "o."
"Seeyoulater," Hermione rushed, and she half scurried out the door before they could analyze things further.
But, once outside, Hermione froze once more on the walk in front of the café. Pecking Audrey's cheek had felt…quiet natural. Not like hugging Angelina or Ginny or Fleur. But…like…a natural progression. She and Audrey had spent much of the past year meeting up, with Angelina or without, and not always to talk about family or work. Just—to enjoy themselves. To be close to one another. She'd felt Audrey's fingers running through her hair before, and she had brushed back Audrey's gentle waves to get a better look at those sharp gray eyes.
She simply never had kissed her before. And Hermione wondered if the same kinds of thoughts wandered through Audrey's mind now as she risked a glance through the café window—
She found a familiar pair of gray eyes staring back. But no longer was Audrey surprised. Her brow pinched together a little, her eyes zeroed in on Hermione, and her lips remained parted. All, as with…longing.
Perhaps, Hermione told herself, looking to tamp down her hopes before she hurried along the pavement. After all, her beating heart and Audrey's yearning eyes were fodder for wishful interpretation.
- ^-^3
*LOL* This followed my original notes right up until the last scene. XD Once Hermione pecked Audrey's cheek, the story chucked my notes out the window and ran away from me. But I like this instead? Esp for a drabble. :P A sad opening premise, but relying on someone for strength and companionship in this way…and then feelings sneak up on ya. UGH. I also have such set Audrey hcs, but here I let a little more of her dry humor show, *lol*. I rly need to sketch my design for her. TT-TT This kinda begs a follow-up, even a brief one, doesn't it? XD (As so many of my fics do, oof.)
Thanks for reading and please review! Available to reblog on my tumblr (camelliacats), too~
-mew-tsubaki :')
