Ok so as I promised, super quick repost. Enjoy
Oh... Disclaimer, han't done one in a while: I do not own the characters, Harry Potter rules! It's all created by the marvelous JK Rowling! I owe it all to her and this wonderful world she has created that I'm just borrowing for the enjoyment of others, No Profit.
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"Ginny… Ginny!"
A sharp rap on the door woke Ginny up, her mother barged in.
"Up, up, come on, don't think I haven't noticed you moping about these last few days, snap out of it! It's a lovely day, I suggest you go out and enjoy it! Now up."
Finishing her rant, molly left the room, leaving the door wide open.
Ginny dragged herself out of bed and looked at the time, 8.30am! Ginny groaned internally. She went in to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Ugh, I look like shit! She thought to herself.
It was 3am gone before she finally fell asleep and even then, she was still no closer to any answers for herself.
It didn't take her long to shower and get ready for the day and she was soon shoveling down food like she had not eaten for a week.
"What are you up to today mum?" Asked Ginny in-between mouthfuls.
"Just the usual dear, what about you? Are you going to take my advice and get some fresh air?" Her mother replied.
Ginny purposely forked some food into her mouth to give her time to think about her reply. She sat there chewing her food thinking. She did want to go into the village, she wanted to see Hermione, even though she couldn't give her an answer yet, she just wanted to see the girl. Finishing her mouthful Ginny looked up.
"Yeh I am. I'm going for a nice long walk, thanks mum." She replied with a smile.
Molly beamed at her daughter. "That's my girl."
After breakfast, Ginny checked herself in the mirror, god what's wrong with me she thought suddenly realizing what she was doing. I never care what I look like, although I do look pretty good! She thought throwing herself a wink in the mirror, the mirror chuckled and gave Ginny a wolf whistle as she walked out the door. She grabbed her little bag with a few essentials in, mainly her pad, put her cardie on and shouting her mother good bye she left for the village.
Ginny reached the village before she knew it, her eyes instantly drawn to the cottage where Hermione was staying.
Oh god, she thought, slight butterfly in her stomach, there she is.
Hermione was sat in her normal spot beneath the parasol, she had a foot up on one of the chairs, knee bent on which she rested her book upon. She was looking at the book intently, she had her pen at her mouth. She must be writing thought Ginny as she slowed down watching the brunette. A stray curl had escaped and was hanging down the side of her face but Hermione was obviously too engrossed in whatever she was doing to be distracted by it. Again Ginny noticed Hermione was wearing loose comfortable clothing, her hair pulled into a loose tail, unaware that she was now noticeably close to the brunette, Hermione suddenly looked up and their eyes locked, Ginny suddenly panicked, she'd been so busy watching the girl, she hadn't thought about what she was going to do when she got there.
"Hay," Ginny said nodding her head in greeting.
Hermione sat forward putting her stuff on the table.
"Hello Ginny," Hermione replied smiling, "what you up to?"
"I'm...Just... Popping to the shop yeh," Ginny answered avoiding eye contact.
"Oh..." Hermione said dejectedly, looking away herself.
An awkward silence followed until Ginny looked up and said, "So... How's the book coming along?"
"Yeh good thanks, not at first, but its flowing now," answered Hermione.
Hermione looked at the red head in front of her, why is she here? She thought, obviously not to give me an answer about the job, yet she is clearly here to see me, I'm not buying all that, just...popping to the shop malarkey, she's a worse lire than I am!
Realizing another awkward silence had followed, Hermione racked her brain for something to say but Ginny beat her to it.
"That's good to hear, I'll let you get on, um... See ya then," Ginny said as she started moving on.
Hermione jumped up, don't let her leave, her brain was shouting at her, but her mouth wasn't working, Ginny was just passing her when Hermione finally found her voice.
"I'm going to the city later," she almost shouted at her, "do you fancy coming with me," she finished in a more normal tone.
Ginny looked around nervously, not wanting to look too eager, but inside she was jumping with joy, she wants to hang out with me, YES!
"London!?" The words were out before Ginny even thought! She cringed internally at the look on Hermione's face.
"Uh, no, Exeter…London! Why would you say London? Hermione asked looking totally confused.
"Ha….uh, sorry, always forget Exeter is a city, I never go there, um.. Sure why not," replied Ginny in a calmer than she felt tone, plastering a smile on her face, hoping Hermione would gloss over that little weirdness.
Hermione beamed at this, "do you want to let your mum know?"
"Umm..." said Ginny looking back at the road shed just come down.
"You can use my phone if you need?" Hermione said pulling her phone out and offering it to Ginny.
Ginny panicked, not wanting to look disrespectful to her mother in front of Hermione but not really needing to tell her mother! Ginny took the phone with a nod. She turned around and took a couple of strides away.
This was one of the reasons she wasn't sure about working in the muggle world, awkward situations like this! I'll just have to fake it she thought, yeh easy, looking at the phone it was blank she pressed what seemed to be the only button on the thing but still nothing!
Walking back over to Hermione she said, "Sorry but how do you turn it on?"
"Oh sorry, hear swipe the screen, like this," Hermione said, leaning over and showing the other girl.
"Thanks" said Ginny turning away again quickly. Right I can do this, she thought lifting it up to her ear.
"Hi mum... yeh... I'm going to the city with a friend...yeh... ok bye"
Ginny handed the phone back to Hermione with a mumbled thanks.
"No worries" Hermione smiled, "don't you have a phone?" Hermione asked shyly.
"Nah never bothered. We weren't allowed them at boarding school and since I left I just hant got around to it, maybe I should though," she added as an afterthought.
"Why don't we have a look while we're in the city, I'll take you to a place." Hermione stated.
"Phones are so modern now, they do everything. Play music and video, you can take pictures with them, video too, personal organizer, sat-nav, Wi-Fi, ..."
Ginny was listening attentively up until this point, now her brain was mush! She was mildly aware of Hermione still prattling on about modern phone functions, but Ginny was in her own thoughts. OMG ... Not again, she though, Ok, I think I did quite well, she seemed to buy the whole no phones at school thing and is happy to explain what phones are like. Obviously a technology that moves on quickly as she seems excited by the progresses herself. Maybe I'll just let Hermione point me in the right direction, yeh; I'll just look to her for confirmation and explanation.
"Ginny," Hermione's voice cut through the thoughts.
"I said how does that sound?"
"Yeh," Ginny smiled back, "seems like I'm in good hands. You'll keep me straight on all the techno mumbo jumbo! You know like sat- nav and Wify, yeh?"
Hermione gave Ginny a funny look, "yeh... Sure," she said smiling and shaking her head slightly, "I'll just put this lot away, gesturing at the paper all over the table, have a seat," Hermione finished waving to the empty chair.
Ginny sat down and watched as Hermione bustled around, she wonderer briefly what the funny look was for.
Finally Hermione emerged, taking the door off the latch and letting it click shut behind her.
"Ready?"
Ginny rose from her seat and followed Hermione, "how we getting there?" She asked.
"I'll drive," said Hermione.
They rounded the corner and approached a car, suddenly the car lights flashed and it made a clinking noise making Ginny jump, thankfully Hermione didn't notice. Hermione opened the passenger door for her, Ginny made a mental note how it was done for later reference, she doubted Hermione would open the door for her every time.
Once in, Hermione shut the door for her and got in the other side, Ginny remembered the old Ford Anglia, but this was nothing like it! The inside was all black and streamline with shiny bits and knobs and buttons, then Hermione did something and all the nobs lit up, and writing appeared on a little screen, it read kiss! That was weird! Dam it, pay attention to what Hermione is doing and stop getting distracted by all the pretty lights Ginny! she mentally chastised herself. Hermione reached over her shoulder and pulled a strap from somewhere, she looked over at Ginny.
"Seatbelt please!" She said.
Hang on was that a question or a direction! Ginny thought, panic starting to rise.
Deciding to stick to her rule and follow by example, Ginny started fumbling around over her shoulder, finally having to turn in her seat to better see what the hell she was doing, she heard a click and turning back she came face to face with Hermione, she was so close she could feel the older girls breath on her cheek.
"Let me," Hermione said.
Leaning around, deftly pulling the belt round Ginny she clipped it in.
Ginny was mentally kicking herself again for not paying attention to where it was put, instead thinking about the feeling Hermione's breathe left on her face. She discreetly followed the belt and saw where it went and when Ginny returned her eye forward she saw they were moving.
"Wow this drives smooth," Ginny said,
"Sorry, I don't have much experience with cars either if you couldn't tell." She blushed slightly at this, not that Hermione could see, she was watching the road ahead.
"Yeh I suppose I live quite a simple life up in the fields" she finished.
Hermione just chuckled.
"I admire you for not being reliant on mod cons, they make life so fast paced, that's why I come away from the city to write, I prefer the simple life." Hermione stated.
Hermione pushed and twiddled some buttons and knobs, a cool breeze blew at Ginny and the car filled with the sound of pop music. Ginny sat back and enjoyed the ride. It wasn't long until the countryside fell away and the city grew around them. Hermione pulled into a car park of a high-rise office block.
Ginny pancaked, Shit, she thought, HBP Publishing, she tricked me, she's bought me to her work! I can't make a decision yet!
Acting cool, Ginny unclipped her belt, after watching Hermione do hers first and then followed Hermione's lead and exited the car.
Hermione turned and walked away from the building, out of the car park and on to the street. Ginny followed with a sigh of relief. Once on the main street, Ginny was surprised it was so busy. She hadn't been out in the muggle city much, but it was much the same as Diagon Ally, except the clothing. She thought wizards dressed bad as muggles, but it seemed muggles dressed bad as muggles! That guys trousers are tighter than mine, she thought, that cannot be comfortable, and the v on his top was practically down to his navel!
"Ginny, don't stare!" Hermione nudge her, bringing her back to herself.
"Let me guess, you don't get in to the city much!"
"Sorry," Ginny blushed, looking down.
Hermione chuckled. "Its fine," she said putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder, there's that feeling again! She thought but ignored it and continued talking. "I'll keep you straight," she said patting her shoulder, Ginny looked up and smiled.
"You see that café bar over the road up there," Hermione pointed. "Can you go get a coffee and wait for me there, I need to pop in the office for 10 minutes or so, then I'm all yours," she smiled at Ginny.
"Sure, take as long as you need." Ginny said turning to cross the road.
"Whoa!" Hermione grabbed Ginny's wrist and pulled her back on to the pavement just as a car honked it horn and drove by.
Ginny was looking at Hermione's hand on her wrist with a look Hermione couldn't place.
"You can't just cross the road like that in the city! The cars won't stop for you!" Hermione said in a shaky breath, noticing Ginny was looking at her hand she quickly released her wrist.
"Go up to the lights and wait for the little green man!" She continued in a more stern tone.
Ginny mumbled an apology and slowly walked off. Ginny was confused, when Hermione grabbed her wrist she had this really funny feeling, not pleasant, but not unpleasant, she couldn't put her finger on it though, she looked over her shoulder but Hermione had gone. The little green man! She didn't have a clue what that meant, looking ahead to where Hermione directed, she notice the cars stop and a green light in the shape of a man walking appeared and the waiting people crossed the road, Ginny smiled to herself, ah little green man she thought.
Finally negating her way across the road she entered the place Hermione pointed out, the name above the door read, The fox and The hound café bar and it was totally dead inside, she went up to the bar looking at all the adverts for the different drinks and food they did, a woman appeared in front of her.
"Hi, what can I get you?"
"Butter beer please," realizing too late she had said the wrong thing she was just about to correct herself when the bar tender said "one beer coming up" thank god she miss heard me, thought Ginny.
The bar lady placed the drink in front of Ginny who took a big sip, almost spitting it back in the glass,
"Merlin's pants! That's disgusting! I'm not drinking that!" she spluttered.
The bar lady looked on at her in amusement, "sorry you did ask for a beer, didn't you?" she asked.
"Yes … but…"
"Have you never had it before? Actually, have you ever had a drink before? What are you like 17?"
"Uh…no! I'm 19 thank you!... But no, I don't drink…. Strict parents" Ginny rushed to explain.
"Ah right," replied the bar tender a smile on her face, "so what do you fancy then?"
"Well, what do you recommend?" Asked Ginny.
A smirk playing her lips the bartender went on to explain about various different types of drinks and what you could mix them with, happy to give Ginny small samples of different ones to try.
Ginny was having a great time trying all the different types of drinks muggles drank. Some were even worse than beer, some burned, some were really bitter. The bar tender was very nice and chatty and finished with making Ginny some elaborate mixture that was called a cocktail, she put little umbrellas in it and a cherry on a stick, Ginny thought this was her favorite.
"Wow this ones the best, what do you call it just cocktail?" Asked Ginny.
"No the mixing of the drinks is cocktail; each different mixture has its own name, that's sex on the beach!"
"What!" Ginny almost choked on her drink, "your joking?"
"No its right there" she pointed to a sign above the bar promoting 2 for 1 after 7pm.
Ginny chuckled to herself, she felt very relaxed and warm, if a bit fuzzy.
Ginny looked up to see the woman staring past her at something behind her!
Oooh...Cliffy...
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GIJxx - Thanks for following, hope you enjoy
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