Date: 20 February 2005
Characters: Jeff Whitecalf (NPC), Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Cedric Diggory, Andromeda Tonks
Location: Bookworm, eventually Towler's clinic
Status: Private
Summary: The cavalry has arrived with bells on (and a few feathers but no painted ponies).
Completion: Complete
(
Looking for a fallen brother... )
When she heard an unfamiliar voice say her name, she instantly had her wand in her hand. She walked around the side of the shelf, keeping her wand in hand but hidden well enough to not appear rude to a potential patron. The man standing in the shop was big: tall and wide and unfamiliar.
"I'm Hermione Granger. Can I help you, Sir?"
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Taking off his pack and guitar and setting down the drum, he stepped forward to offer her a hand. "I'm Jeff. Jeff Whitecalf. Ced's dad phoned me, said he took a spill and whacked his head good. So ... here I am. Amos gave me your name as the go-to lady -- you'd know where he was." Jeff frowned. "How is he?"
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Looking around the shop, he spotted Hermione and a big unfamiliar man who said his name was Jeff. Ron hustled over to Hermione's side.
"So, what's up?" he asked, looking from Hermione to this Jeff bloke and back.
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"This is Jeff Whitecalf, Cedric's best friend," she explained, giving Ron a 'you do know that I can take care of myself, right' look before she offered Jeff a smile.
"Cedric is at the local clinic, still under observation," she told him. "He's recovering but I'm not sure if he'll be released today or not. He has a concussion after falling."
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But at Hermione's comment on Cedric's condition, he frowned again and came closer, hoping they wouldn't start like a pair of deer. "How bad a concussion? And where's the clinic? I'm here to take care of him. I figured he'd need it."
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Ron had heard about Cedric's accident. Still, it surprised him that Jeff had come from Canada to take care of his friend. "What, are you some sort of special healer?"
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She summoned a quill and parchment, writing down the location and coordinates for the clinic, in case he wanted to Apparate. "This is the address of the clinic," she said, handing it to Jeff. "I could pop you over, if you'd like, or draw you a map, if you've jetlag and don't feel up to Apparating."
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But then she was writing down a location and coordinates and asking if he wanted to Apparate. His smile turned rueful and he shook his head. "I don't Apparate, Hermione. I got two good feet, though. If I can leave my stuff in Ced's place, I'll just walk. Or yeah, if somebody wants to take me, I'm good."
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"Erm, sounds like you'll need to walk, then, if you don't Apparate." Looking at Hermione, Ron said, "I've not been to the clinic. I thought maybe the healer wouldn't want random friends hanging round while Cedric recovered. So maybe you should take both of us there."
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"Well, the shop doesn't close until six, but I can Apparate you both after," she said. There was no one in the bookshop, but she wasn't going to close early and begin some sort of trend of not being dependable for the hours stated. "It's not much longer. Ron, perhaps you can show Jeff down to Cedric's cottage and store his belongings while I tidy up the shop and get ready to close?"
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He shrugged when she mentioned the shop didn't close until six. "Fine by me." He'd have preferred sooner rather than later, but he was patient and he did need to put away his stuff. Other people had their own lives and whites lived more by the clock. It wasn't an emergency. "I'll be ready when you are."
Picking up his pack, guitar and drum, he glanced at Ron. "Lead on, kimosabe."
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"Okay, I'll take Jeff there," he said. Hermione would make sure the shop was closed properly, and Ron and Jeff would have a chance to chat during their brief walk.
"Erm, okay, just follow me," he said, leading Jeff out of the shop and toward the cottage. "So, Jeff, where'd you meet Cedric?"
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Jeff shrugged. "We decided we liked each other, and took to writing. Been friends ever since."
He eyed Ron. "How well do you know him?" Jeff wanted to ask how Cedric was doing back here, but he didn't know Ron well enough yet, and while Cedric had spoken of the other man as a friend, Jeff was ... a bit cautious. Cedric had his privacies.
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How well did Ron know Cedric? "Not that well, really," he admitted. "Cedric was a few years ahead of us at school. Then he died...you know...and, er, the war happened and we didn't get back her until a little over three months ago. I didn't know he'd survived until we got back. Been getting to know him a bit since then. But no, I don't know him really well. Why'd you ask?"
By now they'd reached the cottage. Ron felt the wards shift to let him in and motioned for Jeff to follow him inside.
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He considered elaborating, but didn't think he needed to, so he didn't. He'd see how Ron replied. Instead, he swung down his backpack onto the couch and set down his guitar and drum. A loud meow from the top of a shelf got his attention and he squinted up to find a little siamese squinting down. "He's got a cat, don't he? Of course he's got a cat. He's got to have a cat if he's anywhere for more than a few months. He and Gwen were covered up in 'em."
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