Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, places, things, or names of J. K. Rowling's creation. Original characters (bar/shop staff) and plot are mine.
A/N: So many follows and favorites I can't help but smile. This is a great response to my story, and I hope I don't disappoint you all! Edit 1/11/16: Per a review, I need to point out this story is set in 2004, but they are correct, Facebook would not have been available then. I have updated the text to reflect this.
Harry got off the train at the last stop in the little town he now called home, and walked to his building. Unlocking the door to the pub, he entered and greeted Anthony. "Afternoon, Anthony. How's prep going for tonight?"
The bar manager looked up from his paperwork and replied, "Chef Hastings yelled for a good thirty minutes about what 'something very special for dinner' meant, then chopped a lot of things, dented another stock pot - and by the way, the worker's comp claim for the dishwasher is on your desk, ready to sign - and then yelled some more. I finally took a guess, based on your mood last night, and told him something romantic. He seemed okay with that and is working on a multiple course menu of, and I quote, 'tasty delectable morsels designed to awaken the senses and set the soul impassioned.'" Anthony quirked a smile and looked at Harry. "Set the soul impassioned? Really?"
Harry was trying not to laugh loud enough that the chef could hear him, but he was grinning at Anthony's re-enactment. "That's perfect. Put an update on the website that tonight is couple's night, reconfigure to all 2-tops...but leave room to make 4-tops, just in case. Hmm." Harry thought for a moment. "Use the black linens, and…" he grinned mischievously. "call the florist and have them bring over short table bouquets featuring Viola tricolor, please."
Anthony knew that look. He took down the notes and chuckled. "Thy will be done, Mr. Potter. Everything will be ready. Open at 6?"
Nodding as he headed towards his office, Harry said "Perfect. Oh, and reserve me the corner table." As he passed by the kitchen he yelled "Stop hitting the staff in the head with pots, Chris!"
A string of invective came from the kitchen in reply, and Harry grinned. He went into his office and started on the paperwork.
Audra looked at Pansy with her mouth agape. "Miss...Miss Parkinson. I know you opened this shop but I didn't know you actually could design!" She clapped her hand over her mouth and blushed furiously. "I mean, not that I didn't think you couldn't, but I didn't know you did, and I'm sorry, it's just you have me do all the design work and I do so enjoy it but…"
"Stop babbling, Audra. I know what you meant," Pansy replied, absently. She was making small corrections to the sketch, and taking down notes. "Of course I can design clothes. Where do you think all the ones we started out with came from? I just don't do it often anymore, with my other business keeping me busy all the time." She sat back and frowned. "And I don't know why, exactly, I'm putting so much thought into this one, but I'm actually quite enamored of this look. What do you think?"
Audra took a deep breath in, and then out. "I think it's gorgeous. The blending of the styles you drew out can't be anything less than stunning, but you've done what Mr. P-P-Potter asked and made it subtle all the same." Pansy smiled encouragingly at the young girl.
"Thank you, Audra. Do we have the fabric we need to put together a proof of concept by dinner tonight?" She slid from her stool and went over to the fabric samples, searching for the right material in the right color. "We might have to dye this a little for the final run, but this is what I'm thinking of. And we'll trim with this silver and blue here for the bar staff, and the hotel staff will trim with red and black. There. That'll do." She turned and handed a pile of fabric to the girl. "Let's get to work."
Her thoughts to herself were less clothing-oriented. "Sorting Potter out is going to take a lot longer than I thought. He completely surprised me this morning," she thought out loud. She found she actually liked that.
Pansy Apparated into her hotel room carrying a portfolio folder and a garment bag. She hung up the bag on the back of the door and set the folder on the table. She stripped down and took a shower, and began getting ready for dinner. "Potter clearly wants to mix business and pleasure, so I will do exactly that," she informed the mirror, as she carefully applied her makeup and styled her hair.
"Now to decide what to wear. Hmm." She looked over the choices she had brought with her originally, as well as what she brought from the shop. "It would serve him right if I showed up in the uniform, but that would not accomplish anything. Hmm." As she flipped through the clothes, one dress caught her eye. She pulled it out and looked at it. It was a vibrant red full-length evening gown with a corset top and a matching short jacket. She touched the crystals sewn into the seams of the corset and turned it around to look at the back. Wide satin ribbons wound their way down the back of the dress in an intricate braiding, tied in a bow at the waist. The intricate bead-work and stitching wrapped around the hips of the dress, and swept down and to one side, continuing all the way to the hem at the left leg. The right side of the dress was slit up to mid-thigh in such a way that it would rest closed when sitting, but flare open just slightly when she walked. She ran her fingers over the silky soft charmeuse of the dress and smiled wickedly. This, black hose, some strappy silver stilettos, and silver jewelry would be perfect. She pulled her jewelry box out and expanded it with a spell, searching for what she thought she remembered putting in there. Finding the set, she pulled the tray out. The waterfall earrings were speckled with tiny diamonds, and the matching necklace was all but an arrow pointing to her cleavage. A thin diamond tennis bracelet and matching ring completed the combination. She looked at the clock, and smiled. She had just enough time to get ready.
Harry finished shaving and dabbed some aftershave on. He washed his hands carefully and then fumbled his contacts into his eyes. He hated wearing them, but he couldn't wait to see the surprise on Pansy's face when she saw him without his ever-present glasses. He walked over to the closet and got dressed. He slid on his boxers and a tight black t shirt, then pulled out a dark crimson button-down shirt and slipped into it. As he worked the buttons he looked at his trousers and found a pair of black slacks that were just dressy enough for the theme he'd chosen for the night, but still fell shy of tuxedo pants. He added a thin black leather belt, put on black socks and patent leather one piece oxford shoes. He pulled on a dark grey blazer and then turned to look at himself in the mirror. "No...that's just off." He put the blazer back in his closet and pondered. "Ah!" He reached in and pulled out a grey vest and pulled it over his shoulders, buttoning it up. "That's better." He pulled out a silver tie and quickly knotted it around his neck and snugged it under his collar and down inside the vest. "Harry, you handsome devil, you," he told the mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair to achieve his customary mussed-up-spiky look, and went downstairs to the pub.
He checked the time, it was 6:40. He figured Pansy would be exactly on time or a little late, so he had a few minutes. He went over to to the hostess' stand, and spoke to Holly, the young girl working there tonight. "I want a minimal wait for tables, and there is no seating at the bar. Couples only, and reservations get seated as soon as they arrive or shortly thereafter. There will be enough tables for everyone, I promise. I'm not concerned about turnover tonight. We should get exactly as many people as we have chairs. Now, remember the woman I went upstairs with last night?"
Holly blushed a little and nodded. "Yes sir. She was stunning."
"She'll be coming here for dinner tonight and will likely have a large folder or something with her. Get Anthony to carry her things for her and show her immediately to my table. Oh, and if everything goes as I've asked tonight, everyone will get a bonus. Thanks, Holly," he said, and left. He checked the flowers, the lighting, made sure all the candles were lit and the menus laid out. He spoke to the few guests who had already arrived, welcoming them and wishing them a lovely dinner. Then he went behind the bar, took a fortifying shot of scotch, and made his way to his table to sit down and wait for her.
At ten til 7, Pansy walked down the sidewalk towards the pub, frowning as she noticed the darkened windows. "He didn't close the whole pub down to have dinner with me, did he?" she thought to herself. Then she noticed the sign out front, indicating couple's night. "Oh, you cheeky bastard!" she muttered under her breath, but went up to the front door anyway. It was opened for her by the young man who had been the bartender the night before. "Welcome, Miss, I hope you have a splendid evening."
The hostess greeted her as she walked in, the young man closing the door behind her. "Miss Parkinson, how nice to see you again. Your table is ready and Mr. Potter is waiting for you. If you'll allow Anthony to carry your things, I'll lead you to your table."
Pansy was impressed with the treatment. Harry had turned the entire bar into an intimate couple's restaurant in a single day, and had the staff ready to greet her specifically. She suddenly was glad she had worn this dress. She was aiming to dress more elegantly than he'd be expecting, but instead, she fit right in. Well, not right in, Pansy Parkinson only fits in when she wants to.
Harry stood up as she approached his table, and he stood up to greet her. But as he opened his mouth, she came into full view and he froze. She was a vision in red, the candlelight glinting off the bead-work on her dress and her jewelry. Her hair was elegantly coiffed and her lips quirked in a smile as she gave him the once over.
"Well, Mr. Potter, you certainly clean up rather dashing. Who could have known?" she said. "And going without your glasses, how modern of you!"
Her words broke the spell and he hastily walked around the table to pull her chair out for her. "Not quite as much as you, Miss Parkinson. I have to say, you look simply amazing tonight," he replied. Finding his own seat, he looked up at Anthony. "Put Miss Parkinson's things in the office, we'll go over her designs after dinner. Be sure to hang the garment bag up, please." He turned back to Pansy. "By the presence of the bag, I'm assuming you either brought a change of clothes, or you managed to put together a sample uniform?"
"Maybe I decided I wanted to play dress up with you, Potter. I could have my naughty maid costume and her dominant master's outfit in there. Hmm?" she raised an eyebrow and reached for the wine glass that had just been filled. She took a sip and let out an appreciative sigh. "That's an excellent wine choice, Potter. You do know if you like my designs, you're still going to pay a premium for them, no matter how much you butter me up." The look she gave him was part smile, part haughty aloofness. Harry wasn't quite sure how she pulled it off, and yet she did.
"Business later, dinner first," he said, wagging a finger at her. She smirked at him, and looked down for the menu that wasn't there. When she looked back up at Harry and opened her mouth to ask, she saw the flowers on the table and laughed aloud. "Cheeky bastard, Potter." He grinned at this.
A waiter appeared with two small bowls, arranged them on the table, and said, "The first course tonight, tiger prawns in a french consomme with chive and black pepper."
She looked down at the elegantly presented dish, and then back up at Harry. "Tasting menu?" she guessed. When he nodded, she said "How many courses?"
"Seven, I believe the chef has put together, although he may do something different for our table. It will be an adventure. Shall we?" he raised his wine glass towards her. "To something new." She clinked her glass against his and took another sip of the white wine. She couldn't quite identify it.
Taking a bite of the food immediately after the wine, she realized that the wine was paired to the food. She had not thought Harry's pub, or rather, restaurant containing a bar area, capable of that. She closed her eyes as she chewed, and washed it down with a sip of wine. "That's...simply delectable," she breathed.
"Chef Hastings does pride himself on exquisite food. I'm so happy I lured him here," stated Harry simply. He also took a bite, chewed, and sipped on his wine. "So, how exactly did you end up a fashion designer, Pansy?"
Her first name sounded so different when he said it, lighter and flowing, and distracted her from the question slightly. "I guess, I've always liked clothes, and putting together outfits. My mother suggested one time that I should try designing, so I started making sketches. They turned out to be good. They turned out to be really good. I showed some of them to a dressmaker friend of mum's, and the next thing I knew, I was an intern."
One waiter swept by and replaced their wine glasses with a different wine, and removed their plates. The original waiter set down new plates. "Slow cooked duck egg with Iberico ham, white truffle shavings."
"Oh, you are just evil. I love white truffles." She took a bite and let the flavors blossom in her mouth. Harry smiled as he watched her lips purse in pleasure. She swallowed, almost reluctantly, and took a sip of the wine. She didn't say another word for the rest of that course, and Harry chuckled at her as he finished his own.
"That was perfect. Anyway. I advanced very quickly with the dressmaker, and eventually opened my own shop. My parents invested in it, and it's turned a profit for the last two years now."
"Here we are, now. He's got my story. It's time to ask him how he ended up here. But...this is rocky ground, Pans. You have to be careful but not obvious."
"What about you, Potter? Last I heard you were working with the Ministry," she said, then swallowed the last of the wine.
The waiters did their bit again, and the new dish was placed on the table. "Seared blue fin tuna, chorizo, and shaved watermelon with a lime ponzu glaze."
Harry shrugged, and took a bite of the tuna. After washing it down with the sparkling sake, he looked at her, his voice a little somber. "I needed to get away from that world. Too many memories. Out here, it's easier. And I'm good at this. I never thought I'd be happy, much less successful, running a business." His back got straighter as he admitted that out loud. "And I am. I'm happy."
She pondered her next statement as she ate the tuna, and then completely forgot she'd been talking as she took a sip of the sake, and unconsciously moaned out loud. Harry grinned at her and finished his off. "Good, hmm?"
"I think my mouth just had an orgasm. I would never have thought to put these things together," she admitted.
"Saffron risotto, Carabineros prawns, and edible gold leaf," the waiter informed them as the next plates came in.
"Oh I was hoping Chef would make this. It's one of my favorite things he makes for these events," Harry said, and eagerly ate. Pansy took a spoon full of the creamy risotto and, as she had quickly learned tonight, made sure she had all the ingredients and seasoning together in the bite, and put it in her mouth. She could easily see why Harry liked this, the briny prawns mixed well with the fragrant and thick risotto. She took a sip of the wine that brought out the subtle flavors of food and drink, and sighed.
"We're not going to get much talking done during this meal, are we?" she said to him, blushing slightly.
Harry smiled warmly at her. "Probably not, and here they are again."