Chapter Four: The Book Signing
A/N: I really should be editing these since the story was written nearly 15 years ago. I'm cringing through them though.
-Harry-
"You told her what? Oh Harry, that's just not like you," Astoria said, taking a sip of chamomile tea. So far, it was the only thing she could keep down that morning. She smiled at the guilty look on his face.
"Well she deserved it. I'm really getting sick of Ron and Ginny's prejudices. If Draco and everyone else can act like adults and get over everything, they should be able to as well," Harry said, as he took another look around at the warm living room. "So, where's Jackson?" Harry asked, looking at Astoria's round, pretty face. Her dark hair swayed softly down her shoulders and her light clear eyes held nothing but deep kindness and compassion.
"I left him with Daphne and Blaise, he loves it over there," she said, smiling. Harry nodded, before looking down at Astoria's copy of Just One Night.
"When do we head out to Muggle London? I don't want to wait in line too long you know. I'm pretty sure there will be tons of women and girls waiting to get their books signed by the great Scarlett Parker," Harry said, trying to disguise his giddiness.
"We can go now, I'm feeling better," Astoria said, getting up from the chaise loveseat. Harry took Astoria by the hand and they apparated to an alleyway in Muggle London. They walked together down the street past many Muggles when the London Review Bookshop came into view. There weren't many people there yet so Harry took Astoria down to the Café for lunch.
~~~Pansy~~~
Pansy stood in her bathroom and frowned it was almost time for the damn book signing and she still wasn't ready. She couldn't decide on what to wear. Maybe a pair of tight jeans with a soft green blouse, or the dark blue dress that came to just about her knees. She kept moving back and forth between her two choices and was just about to give up when Millicent showed up to undoubtedly save the day. Again. "Pansy! What in Salazar's trousers are you doing? You have to be ready in an hour!" Millicent said, holding a garment bag in her arms.
"I have nothing to wear! Give me a bloody break! Where's Emily?" Pansy asked, pulling on her shortened locks.
"Theo dropped her off at your Mum's. Now come on P! We have to meet up with that bloody Edgar Crane and then help set up! We have no time to dillydally," Millicent said, putting the bag down and unzipping it. In it was a beautiful knee length dress made of forest green silk. It was sleeveless and the design was of vines wrapping beautifully around themselves. "Here, put this on and these shoes will go with it. Hurry, hurry!" Millicent said, pulling out a box that held matching heels.
"Oh Mil, thanks so much! You really are my lifesaver," Pansy said, taking the dress and shoes before running into the bathroom to beautify herself. Five minutes later, Pansy came out wearing the dress and shoes. Her short hair was styled into a feminine style and her eyes were shadowed in soft greens. Her full lips were darkened slightly and glossed, making them more plump and pouty.
"No problem, you look wonderful. Now, let's get a move on!" Millicent said, pushing her out the door. They rushed down the stairs and got into Millicent's car. Millicent turned the key in the ignition and they were off. Again, Pansy wondered about the point of Muggle cars when they could just apparate.
They walked into the store into the store together and separated. Millicent went to go find Edgar Crane and Pansy went off to look around. She looked up and groaned. There was a large banner that read Scarlett Parker here today, one day only at London Review, in big bold red letters like the ones on her cover for Just One Night. There under the large banner was a mahogany table with a chair and there were a few of her older books and some book cover posters on display at the table were a fine tip marker lay next to it all.
"Miss Parker, glad you could make it," said the fluid voice of Edgar. Merlin the man had a voice. And, everything else for that matter. Pansy turned around and nearly fainted. Edgar Crane looked even better than the last time she saw him. He was wearing dark grey pants and a white long sleeved v-neck. The shirt hugged his muscles in every place and his dark tresses were artfully tousled and his bronze eyes held a sort of appraisal in them. Did he like her? No, Pansy shook her head of those thoughts and smiled.
"Mr. Crane, you look very casual today. Are you meeting a lady friend?" Pansy said, before she could stop herself. She cursed inwardly before looking back up into his eyes.
"No, I don't have a lady friend and you look lovely well that's a lie. You look gorgeous," he said, smiling a perfect smile at him. Pansy's heart skipped a beat and she smiled again.
"Millicent went to go find you," Pansy said, biting her full lip softly.
"Ahh well, I'd better see to it that she does find me, your Editor/Publicist has quite a sharp tongue, if you don't mind my saying so," he said, making her laugh softly.
"No that's Millicent alright. Uhm…is there anything you need me to do to help?" Pansy asked, twirling a lock of hair in her finger. Damn, now that's all she needed. Her hair to be ruined before she even met her fans.
"No of course not. You are the star today, Scarlett. Just sit down and relax. Can I have someone bring you anything? Tea, water, anything?" he asked, smiling kindly at her. Pansy smiled shyly before replying to the overly nice and incredibly sexy Muggle.
"A cup of tea would be lovely. Thank you Mr. Crane," Pansy said, giving him a flirtatious smile. Well why shouldn't she? She was just barely twenty three and he couldn't be more than thirty two at most. Besides, they aren't working together, he just happens to own the bookstore that her first book signing was being held in. After that, she was free to flirt and maybe play a little.
"Please just call me Edgar, Scarlett. Tiffany could you please get a cup of tea from my personal selection for Miss Parker" Edgar said, looking at the young leggy blonde.
"Yes Mr. Crane, right away Mr. Crane," she said, eagerly. Like a little puppy dog.
"Wow, you really have that girl dazzled, Edgar," Pansy said, putting a hand to her lips and laughing softly. Edgar turned to face her and smiled another brilliant smile. It was enough to make Pansy's legs feel like Jell-O.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Miss Parker," He said, smiling slyly.
"Shouldn't you be finding my Publicist?" Pansy said, smirking slightly. What? It was the Slytherin in her.
"You are right, let me go find her before she serves my bollocks on a silver platter," he said, touching her shoulder before walking away. Pansy smiled at his fit bum in those perfectly accentuating pants. A moment later Tiffany brought Pansy a cup of tea and set it down without sparing a glance in her direction.
Pansy rolled her eyes before sitting down in the mildly comfortable chair and picking up the cup of tea. She inhaled the sweet scent of mint raspberry tea and smiled. She wondered what her little dove was doing right now. Probably terrorizing Blaise and Daphne. She looked down and stirred two sugar cubes into her tea and sighed. It was going to be a very long day. She didn't know how long she had been spacing out when a voice broke into her thoughts.
"Miss Parker, it's almost time. Are you ready?" Edgar said, kneeling next to her. The warm honey bronze of his eyes made her feel that she was ready for just about anything.
"Right. Yes, I'm ready Edgar," she said, smiling. His name sounded sweet on her tongue.
Edgar felt as though he just might be able to get through the hectic day as long as he stood near her. Scarlett was quite a beautiful young woman, and despite him being ten years her senior, he felt such an attraction to her. Clearly she was intelligent and creative, funny, and down to earth. In short, she was perfection.
"Alright then, I'll open up," Edgar said, motioning the other employees. As soon as they opened the doors, several women young and old barged in holding copies of her books. Edgar smiled before opening his mouth to speak. "Ladies and Gentleman, please calm down and stand in line. You will get your turn with Miss Parker," he said, making the crowd murmur excitedly.
After several books and posters had been signed, Pansy looked up into the crowd again and a flash of green caught her eye. No. It couldn't be the green. Not his green. Not the Boy Who Kicked Voldy's Moldy Arse. No. Pansy shook her head slightly and looked again. There was a young man standing with Astoria but, she couldn't see his face. But that hair. It was that same untidy mane of jet black hair. No. It couldn't be.
-Harry-
Harry turned quickly. Pansy? No it couldn't be her. Just because Scarlett Parker resembled Pansy Parkinson did not mean that they were one and the same. Pansy had always wanted to be a model. She couldn't be a writer. That was the last thing in the world she'd said she'd ever become. Let alone a Romance Author. He was just being stupid. "Are you ready Harry? It's almost our turn," Astoria said, squeezing his arm tightly.
"Y-Yeah, I'm ready," Harry said, clutching his Copy of Just One Night tightly. He had read it from cover to cover over night and he really enjoyed it. It was Scarlett's best book, hands down.
"Hello, so, how would you like me to sign that?" Scarlett asked, a teenage girl in front of them. She was holding a copy of her book and a poster of the cover. Her voice was sweet and smooth, not at all like Pansy's had been. At least, when she was screaming and jeering. But that night, five years ago…her voice was sweet music flowing through his ears.
"Can you sign it to Marla, your friend Scarlett Parker?" she asked, looking quite anxious.
"You got it Marla," Scarlett said, smiling at her. Scarlett bowed her head to autograph the girl's book and poster, in her perfect calligraphy. As far as Harry could tell, Scarlett Parker and Pansy Parkinson was not the same person.
After a moment, the girl thanked Scarlett and walked off happily. Harry and Astoria were next. As soon as they walked up, Scarlett's eyes widened and she froze. As quick as it happened, there was now a smile on her beautiful face. "Um…So, how can I sign that for you?" She asked, struggling to keep her voice even. The once scrawny bespectacled kid was now a man. And what a man he was. His arms looked like there was some tone and muscle he'd also grown into his features.
"To Harry, from your old friend Pansy Parkinson," he said, looking at her in slight irritation. She looked up into his bright green eyes and gasped. So, he did know. She'd have to remember to kill Draco and Astoria for doing this to her.
"To Harry, from Scarlett Parker," she muttered, signing it. Harry looked into her clear green eyes and sighed. The woman had become a Goddess. But he couldn't help to feel angry with her. All these years and he still didn't get over the fact that she had done a runner on him.
After signing Astoria's and earning a wry smile from Pansy, Harry and Astoria had walked out to the lunch deck. "How could you not tell me it was Pansy?" Harry said, rounding on her. Which was probably a bad idea considering the woman was a former Slytherin and currently pregnant.
"I did no such thing! I didn't even know that Pansy was an Author. You know I haven't seen her since you left Hogwarts. You know that I was only in my sixth year when you finished!" Astoria said, reminding Harry that she was only twenty. She had started seeing Draco in their last year of Hogwarts, her sixth.
"Oh…Well, I'm sorry Tori," Harry apologized, making her sigh.
"No, I did know. I'm sorry Harry, Draco and I knew she was moving back here and I thought it would be sweet to play Cupid. Do you forgive me?" she said, looking like a child who knew she'd done wrong. Harry could see that this was most likely the reason that Draco could never be mad at her.
"I forgive you, Tori. I can't stay mad at such a cherub's face," he said, tweaking her nose. She really was a short woman. She looked like she could still be in school.
"I knew you would. Now come on. Isn't it nice? Pansy is your favorite Author and you two just met up. You should definitely ask her out sometime. I have her address and cellular phone number," Astoria said, smiling so that the dimples showed even more. She was a sweet girl.
"Eh, I don't think she'd be happy if I was to show up to her place unexpected and called out of the blue. No, it's probably better to leave it be. We're not going to get together, Tori," Harry said, making her frown softly.
"Well, there's always tomorrow," Astoria said, determined to see that they do get together. Harry just hoped it wouldn't involve him in humiliating situations. With a wink from Astoria, the pair headed back to Draco and Astoria's home.
A/N: Well there it is. It didn't quite turn out how I wanted but, hopefully you liked it. Thanks to all who are still reading and to those who will hopefully continue reading.