RP: Chinese New Year

[rar_hermione]

Date: Saturday, December 31, 1998
Characters: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter
Location: Grimmauld, Other
Status: Private
Summary: It's the last day of the year
Completion: Complete

Comments

[rar_harry]

Harry put his hands in his pockets, watching Dodger sniff around the sitting room. He never seemed to stop moving, unless he was sleeping in Harry's room. Crookshanks liked to lie about and watch people, while Dodger clearly preferred a more hands-on approach. Harry wondered if Dodger'd be okay at the party. He tended to get nervous in crowds, and being nervous might cause him to endanger the floors in Alicia's flat. Maybe Harry should leave him at home

[rar_hermione]

When she reached the sitting room, she found Harry and Dodger already there. She smiled slightly as she looked at them, wondering how Harry had managed to make it to work without taking Dodger with him. It was sweet to watch them together, and she was glad they got along so well.

"Hello," she said, turning her focus to Harry. He was wearing a nice pair of denims and a shirt with a lot of buttons that he had left untucked. "You look, uh, very nice." She leaned down to pet Dodger when he ran over to her, hoping that Harry hadn't noticed her staring. "And you look adorable, too." Dodger licked her hand, which she assumed meant thank you.

Straightening up, she glanced at Harry. "I'm ready. We still planning on take-away?"

[rar_harry]

"So do you," he blurted, shifting as Hermione stooped to pet Dodger and afforded him a view of her dress from an entirely different angle. He stared uncontrollably until she finished petting the puppy, then studiously averted his gaze.

"Oh. Great. Yeah, I figured we'd still get some Chinese before we go to the party. Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

[rar_hermione]

"Thank you," she murmured, tucking her hair behind her ear as she scratched Dodger behind his ears. She summoned a flannel and wiped her hand, knowing that she'd definitely wash them before eating. It was one of the hazards of having a puppy around, she'd learned.

She shook her head. "Nowhere in particular comes to mind. Since we're just getting it and bringing it back here, we could Apparate to Leicester Square and walk to somewhere that looked good. There's a lot of choices around there. It'll probably be busy with it being New Year's Eve, so we can look at people as we walk." She didn't really like crowds, but she didn't mind them so much when Harry was with her.

[rar_hermione]

"I thought you said you were hungry?" Hermione nudged Harry and smiled. He hadn't really ordered very much, so she ordered extra for them to share. Also, if Ron was around and hungry, they'd have enough for him, too. She ordered an egg roll, a few spring rolls, some fried wontons, a bowl of egg drop soup, and beef with stir-fried vegetatbles.

"That was a lot of food," she murmured after she finished naming items from the menu. She bit her lip and then looked at Harry. "I guess I was hungrier than I thought. But we can share with Ron or snack on things later."

She looked around. "I don't know. Probably along the Thames, maybe? That seems to be a safe spot for fireworks, versus right in the middle of a district like this. We could probably see from the roof," she said thoughtfully, wondering if the fireworks would be that large and visible.

[rar_harry]

"Yeah, I can't wait to see you put all of this away," he told her with a laugh, knowing that he wouldn't have much problem. "Ron will be glad we brought some back, too."

There wasn't too long a wait for the takeaway, and after he'd paid, he took their purchases as they walked along the street. She mentioned being able to see the fireworks from the roof at the house, maybe, and he glanced at her. "Well -- d'you fancy going up there, maybe? We could bring the food, and Dodger. See if we can see them."

[rar_hermione]

"Oh, hush it, you," she warned, slapping his arm lightly. "I might very well eat every bite, then you'll feel silly for doubting me."

Harry paid for their food, which meant she'd buy their coffee tomorrow if they stopped during their walk. He had paid a lot more than she would have to, after all, so he couldn't whinge. She took his hand again as they started to walk.

"To the roof?" She glanced at him and smiled. "That would be lovely. Dodger would probably enjoy it, too, though we'll need to keep him away from the fountain. And my stockings. I don't want them ruined by his nails snagging them." She frowned. "But we won't be able to see the fireworks until midnight. That's still a few more hours, and we have that party to attend, which won't be in London."

[rar_harry]

"I would say that I'd keep Dodger from scratching your stockings," he said, "but I honestly have no idea if he'll listen to me. Sometimes I think he is, but then other times not so much. Luckily, he's small, so when my 'no' falls on deaf ears, I just pick him up and put him where he needs to be." He chuckled. "Which probably isn't the best training method."

Hermione brought up the party, and the fireworks, which gave Harry some pause. He sort of wanted to watch the fireworks more than he wanted to go to a party. It'd be his first time seeing them, really. At the same time, he liked Al and it would be good to see everyone after the holidays. Still, New Years' fireworks didn't come every day. "Maybe we should skip the party, then?"

[rar_hermione]

"All's fair in love and food," she said matter-of-factly before she popped the last of the chicken into her mouth. He nicked one of her wontons, and she smiled. "I bought loads more food so that I could share. Have anything that you'd like."

She was getting full, but there was still more that she wanted to try. She decided to go for an eggroll next and save some of her beef and veg. The restaurant hadn't had a huge queue, but it was certainly some of the best Chinese that she'd had in awhile.

"I wonder how Alicia's party is going. It should be starting by now." She stretched out her legs and looked around for something to Transfigure. She finally picked up a few napkins and focused, turning them into large, fluffy pillows. "Here. For when you're tired of sitting up." She handed a couple to Harry and then leaned back against two. It was much more comfortable.

[rar_harry]

"Good, I think I will," he said, plucking up another of her wontons as he grinned.

It was well past dark now, and he was about done eating. He wondered if the fireworks would start sooner or right at midnight. He was looking forward to seeing them. "Not sure," he said, "It's probably going well. Usually when there are parties they end up pretty crowded. Ron should be having a good time."

Hermione was moving and transfiguring some napkins into large pillows. Harry took the cue and began packing the food up. "Thanks," he said, taking the pillows Hermione handed him, still impressed by her transfiguration skills. He would have been able to do the pillows, but he wasn't sure they'd have been that large and fluffy. He moved the food to the side of their blanket and warded it so Dodger couldn't poke into it, then tucked the pillows behind him. He shifted until his back rested against them.

He looked up at the sky. "It's so clear," he said, watching the stars.

[rar_hermione]

"Crowded and loud. People are probably drinking a lot, too. I hope Ron enjoys it. He deserves a fun night, and he's always been fond of parties and the like."

Harry cleaned up their food, which was good because she probably would have tried to keep eating if it was right there. As it was, she didn't know if she could eat another bite. "We can save the cake for later," she decided as she got comfortable. Maybe she could eat while watching the fireworks later.

She scooted a little closer to Harry when he was lying down beside her and looked at the sky. "Surprising, isn't it? It's often so cloudy or smoggy that we don't even notice until we actually see the stars." She moved her pinky over his hand as she stared at the stars. "It really is a beautiful night. I'm glad we decided to stay here instead of going out."

[rar_harry]

Harry froze a moment when he felt Hermione's fingers on the back of her hand, but recovered. It was nice, really, and he didn't want her to stop. "I'm really comfortable now," he told her, "And we'll have to get up when the fireworks start. I hope we're able to hear them from this house, because I don't know when they're starting."

He nodded. "I'm glad, too," he said, relaxing again.