"So, tell me about the fruit and veg industry?" said Pat, propping her elbows up on top of a box of Puerto Rican bananas, and tilting her head to one side.
"OK, in three words: dead bloody boring," grunted Ty as he hoisted a rather large crate of Snap Dragon apples onto one of the many weather-beaten display tables in front of Drysart and Sons, "Even more boring at six in the morning. What the heck possessed you to get up this early, anyway? I'm not even going to delve into your being here this early in the morning."
"It's my day off, and I really couldn't sleep in any later," said Pat, shrugging and pulling her sweater sleeves down over her hands. She neglected to mention that the reason she hadn't been able to sleep in was because she'd set her alarm for five thirty.
"You're crazy," said Ty, bending down to pick up a stray apple - a moment happily indulged by Pat, "I can only just roll out of bed this early to stock. Didn't even have time to shave."
"That's OK, you look good with a little stubble," said Pat with a teasing grin.
"Cheeky!" exclaimed Ty, looking somewhat pleased nonetheless, "Mind the tigerfruit."
Pat hastily backed away from the crate on her left, out of which a gnashing, growling sound was echoing.
"So what are your plans for your day off?"
"I dunno," said Pat, shrugging casually, "Thought I'd finish up my book, then maybe go up to Stir Crazy - Rory was asking about having a drink with me, so I thought-"
"He what!" cut Ty, spilling a good portion of the oranges he was carrying, "Rory Iveson asked you out?"
"Something like that," said Pat innocently, pretending to examine her fingernails.
"He - what - that little blighter!" said Ty, completely forgetting about the oranges that were now slowly rolling down the sidewalk.
"What, is something wrong with that?" asked Pat, completely straight faced.
"Well - yes!" said Ty, looking extremely annoyed, "So you're just going to abandon me to run off with some chump who pours coffee for a living?"
"Well he does make a mean chai latte," said Pat, grinning slyly.
"But-"
"Oh relax," said Pat, rolling her eyes and laughing "I'm just kidding! I doubt he even knows my name, much less wants to ask me out."
"So that whole thing - that was just a ruse?" asked Ty, raising an eyebrow.
"Completely. Just messing with you," grinned Pat.
"Not funny," said Ty, still looking slightly upset, "If you were a guy, I'd hex you here and now."
"Ha, but I'm not!" said Pat, sticking her tongue out, "You've got nothing, Abernethy! Noth-"
Her words were abruptly cut off as Ty leaned forward and kissed her. A moment later he broke the kiss, and Pat was left standing there, looking slightly dazed. Finally, she exhaled, her breath coming out as a shimmering white cloud in the frosty morning air. "OK, I suppose that's something," she said lamely.
"Too right," said Ty, scooping up an orange, and acting as though he'd done nothing more ordinary than tell her the time of day.
"What was that for?" asked Pat breathily, trying desperately to control the butterflies that had taken flight inside her.
"What?" asked Ty, pulling out his wand and using it to summon the remaining oranges from where they'd rolled down the street.
"You – you just kissed me, Ty."
"Well, yea," said Ty, grinning at her, "I figured it was about time, don't you agree?"
"I guess," said Pat quietly, nervously chewing the inside of her lip.
"What, no good?" asked Ty, raising an eyebrow.
"What? No, no!" sputtered Pat, "No, it was...great."
Ty laughed. "Don't tell me that was your first kiss."
"No, of course not!" said Pat dismissively. She didn't want to admit that she'd only had two before that, one being the result of accidentally wandering underneath the mistletoe near pimple-faced Simon Pitches last Christmas; it took all her resolve not to shudder at the recollection of that particular horror.
"Well aren't you little Miss Innocent!" Ty teased, "That's positively cute!"
"Oh shut up," said Pat, throwing an orange at him.
"Oi, careful with those!" said Ty, ducking just in time, "Nathaniel'll have my head if I damage any more fruit!"
"You're no fun at all," said Pat, grinning, thoroughly relieved that the topic had changed.
"Hey, I think your sister wants you," said Ty, jerking his head across the street. Pat turned and saw Anne at the doorway of Magi-Mart, clutching at her stomach and beckoning toward her.
"Oh no, she must have morning sickness again. There goes my day off," sighed Pat, "Well, I guess it was great kissin-I mean talking to you at least."
"Yea same to you," laughed Ty, "You better hurry, she's looking a bit green."
----------------
"Trisha, I need you on the floor in five minutes: Jim's got to sort out our supply order and he can't do that and watch the front at the same time," said Anne, looking rather cross as she poked her head outside the door of the shop.
Pat pulled her face away from Ty's for moment to take a breath and call out, "Coming, coming!"
"Bit of a tyrant, isn't she?" asked Ty, grinning slyly, his arms around her waist.
"Tell me about it," said Pat, rolling her eyes, "She knows I'm going to make my shift, she just likes to nag."
"I get the impression she's not so keen on me, either," said Ty, smirking, "But it's not like that's much of a change. Never really got on at Hogwarts."
"She never got to know you," said Pat, tracing a finger fondly down Ty's neck, "You know, Slytherin stereotype..."
"Or maybe she's just jealous that she had to settle, and her little sister got the real goods," he said, the smirk still lingering on his face.
"Ooh, modest, aren't we?" laughed Pat teasingly, "But really, she didn't settle with Jim, he's good to her. Although good-looking he certainly is n-"
"Two more minutes, Patricia!" called Anne's voice from inside, an obvious note of irritation in it.
"Coming!"
"Skive off," whispered Ty, "It's my day off and I've got the upstairs to myself...What d'ya say?"
"Mmm, love to, but such is life: you forget that I need to work if I want to keep living here," sighed Pat, "A veritable ball and chain, if you will..."
"Maybe we can change that..." said Ty, his lips curling into a wry smile.
"Oh yea?" said Pat, "And how do you suppose w-"
"I need you inside now Patricia," said Anne crossly, as she marched outside, her eyes gleaming, "And I daresay I bid you a fond farewell, Abernethy. Not to seem rude, but we have a no loitering policy here."
"Oh for God's sake, Anne..." said Pat, as Ty rolled his eyes.
"I mean it. Both of you. Now Patricia, in."
"See you later," said Ty, leaning in and giving her a final kiss, "I'll be at the Leaky Cauldron later tonight, if you want a refuge from the tyrant."
"Sounds like a date," said Pat, giving a small wave before reluctantly entering the store.
Pat shut the door behind her and made her way toward the counter. "Well that was rude of you," snarled Pat at Anne, as she walked by with a clipboard.
"Rude of me?" said Anne indignantly, "I own this property and I have every right to tell whomever I please to clear off. I think it's bloody rude of you to stand out there sucking face with someone, right in front of my store. I've worked very hard on this place, and I don't want it to get the wrong reputation!"
"So that's it? You think I'm a tart or something!" said Pat angrily, in such a loud voice that an elderly witch abandoned her careful reading of a slug bait label to watch the argument. Anne grabbed Pat by the arm and walked her forcefully into the back room.
"Get a grip, Patricia Lauren-Eileen!" she hissed, "I will not have you yelling in my store!"
"Well, if you w-!"
"You shut up! In answer to your question, no I don't think you're a tart, but you're certainly not doing anything to sway me away from acquiring such a notion! That little exhibition outside just about fits the profile! I've told you before, and I'll tell you again: Ty Abernethy is a bad influence! Just look at you: you've been seeing him for only a couple of weeks and already you're giving me lip!"
"So what?" spat Pat, "It's not like you're my mother!"
"Don't you dare bring mum into this, because I'll tell you right now, she wouldn't take this crap from you. And I don't have to either: I'm your sister, but I'm also your boss, and if you don't get your act together, you're on your own!"
"You wouldn't fire me, you don't have the guts to do that to your sister," said Pat in a mutinous tone, "And besides, Jim wouldn't let you."
'I am under no obligation to keep you here, Patricia, sister or not. In fact, you've just about worn out all of your family life-lines: if you weren't related to me, you'd be out on your ass already," said Anne, "You're right, Pat, I don't want to do it, but I'm not going to put up with this shit any longer. Now out on the floor, your shift started six minutes ago."
Pat gave her an extremely ugly scowl, turned her back on her sister, and trudged out to the cash register.