RP: Easter Dinner

[shh_hermione]

Date: April 8, 2005
Character(s): Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Roger Davies, Viktor Krum, Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown
Location: 33 Alpha Lane
Status: Private
Summary: Easter dinner for 'family'
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_roger]

Roger stole a final kiss before Hermione went off to get the door. Once he'd watched her leave, still leaning against the counter, he looked down at Crookshanks. "Fine-looking mistress you've got, there," he commented. Crookshanks looked up at him and Roger could swear he rolled his beady eyes. He chuckled and scratched the cat behind his ears. "You should come out with us," he told it, and reached to scoop up Zuzu. He could still do it with one hand.

Zuzu was still wrestling with the hunk of rope and seemed reluctant to give up the fight. "Oi, you can take it with you," he said as he picked up puppy and rope alike and headed out the back door. He looked back o find Crookshanks following him, and smiled.

He stepped outside to where Harry was wrestling with Cocoa, and set Zuzu down. She forgot about the rope and set off in wild circles over the lawn.

[shh_neville]

Neville followed Hermione through the house, noting how much bigger it appeared on the inside than it had from the front walk. "This is beautiful," he said, slightly squirmy over the fact that he'd had Hermione and Ron over for dinner at his less-than-aesthetically appealing house. At least his roof hadn't been leaking then.

He waited patiently while Hermione found a good spot for the lily and then followed her to the back of the house, seeing a tall, good-looking fellow with a dog, who looked vaguely familiar. The man, that is. The dog, while gorgeous in a still-growing-into-its-paws sort of way, was not at all familiar.

He felt himself slowing down as they drew closer to the man, and straightened his shoulders in irritation at himself. He wasn't a bumbling child anymore, dammit. Pasting a somewhat confident smile on his face, Neville hurried to catch up with Hermione.

[shh_roger]

Roger bent to give Zuzu the hunk of rope, then straightened, grinning over at Hermione, who was leading a man who looked somewhat familiar out from the kitchen. "Hey," he began, when Zuzu immediately gamboled over to the other man. He was new, after all, and she had to see if she liked him. She yipped and began to climb over the new man's shoe. She needed to know what the hem of his trousers tasted like.

Smiling slightly, Roger headed over a bit more quickly. "Sorry," he said. "Trying to get her to stop doing that. No, Zuzu." He glanced at Hermione with a half-grin, then offered a hand to her friend. "Er. Hullo. I'm Roger; good to meet you."

[shh_neville]

Neville grinned and waved Roger's concern off, squatting down to pat the fluffy little puppy and laughing when it licked him on the chin, obviously pleased with itself. He stood back up to shake Roger's hand, hoping the other man didn't realise his dog was attempting to run off with Neville's shoes--while he was still wearing them, of course.

"Hello, Roger. Neville Longbottom. Nice to meet you."

He looked back at Hermione and, seeing the way she looked at Roger, realised that there was something more than friendship between them. He smiled faintly, pleased for his friend.

[shh_hermione]

"No, Zuzu. Stop," Hermione said sharply, looking down at the puppy as she attacked Neville's shoes. Zuzu looked up and cocked her head, ears going back slightly. "Yes, I said stop. Go to Roger."

Zuzu seemed reluctant but wiggled her bum and then ran back to Roger. Hermione grinned. "Oh, good puppy," she complimented. She looked at Roger and winked. "See? She can listen, she just rarely chooses to, it seems. Or maybe she just likes me more."

Harry was tossing a ball for Cocoa, who looked at it and then continued to play with a stick instead. "Why did I buy her a ball if some old stick is all she wants?" Harry asked, summoning the ball back before trying again. He smiled at them and shook his head. "'ello, Nev."

She walked Roger and Neville over to the blankets she'd set out. There was an outdoor table and chairs for dinner, but the blankets were better for general seating. Once she sat down, she looked up at the sky and smiled. "It's a pretty day out, which is good. Feels very much like spring."

[shh_roger]

Hermione firmly told Zuzu to stop with the shoe-chewing while Roger looked on, shaking his head slightly when the puppy did what she asked. He crouched and scratched under Zuzu's chin. "This is what I get for feeding you every day, is it? You listen to Hermione instead?" He laughed and stood, grinning back as Hermione winked at him. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "'Spose I can't blame her for liking you, though."

He waved over at Harry and cocked a grin at Cocoa as they headed over to the blanket. He took a seat by Hermione and Zuzu scrambled over his legs to get to her. "Yeah, it's a great day," he said. "I like the idea of sitting out on blankets. Seems to be a good day for that. And Zuzu, no slobbering on Hermione, yeah?"

He looked over at Neville. "You sent me an owl, a while back, I think," he said. "You get things straightened out with your roof?"

[shh_neville]

Neville turned from greeting Harry to answer Roger.

"Actually, no. I... well, I suppose it's my own fault. I get rather involved in the greenhouse and it's not until the rain comes and floods the extra bedroom that I even remember the roof is leaking." He shrugged self-consciously and gave Cocoa a pat as she trotted over to nudge against Harry.

He grabbed a glass of lemonade and walked to the blankets where everyone was settling in.

"Oh, would anyone like me to fetch a drink for them?"

He hoped he wasn't committing a faux pas, but he was rather parched. Meeting new people and having to interact with them had always affected him like that.

[shh_roger]

Roger smiled slightly and shrugged affably as Neville joined them on the blanket. "I know how it gets," he said.

"Well, if you ever want, I can drop by and take a look, see what needs done. There've been a lot of leaky roofs about town and I've been handling some of that. Harry actually works with me."

Neville offered to get drinks form everyone, and Roger shook his head and drew his wand. "I'll get them." He summoned the lemonade and glasses and poured Hermione a glass, then one for himself.

[shh_neville]

Neville looked at the glass in his hand and blinked bemusedly. He was so used to working with plants that didn't react well to magic, that he often forgot to use it. He risked a peek at Roger to see if the other man thought he was an idiot for not just summoning his own drink, but saw nothing in his expression to indicate that. Smothering a sigh of relief, he smiled and said, "Don't worry about mine. I've lived with it this long, I can certainly wait until you can fit me in. And it's nice to see Harry doing some real work for a change." Neville nudged Harry and laughed good-naturedly.

[shh_roger]

Roger laughed as Neville teased Harry, who only gave a laugh and went back to entertaining Cocoa. "Hah, well, before long, Harry will be out-hammering me."

"And I can fit you in anytime, really. You want to get that roof taken care of; rains a lot this time of year. If you want, we could meet this week, or the week after."

He took a sip of his lemonade. "How've you been otherwise -- Do you work out of your greenhouse? What sort of plants to you work with?"

[shh_neville]

"Otherwise, I'm great. I spend too much time in the greenhouse, I'm sure. But I love puttering about in there. Right now I have a bit over five hundred different species"--five hundred and thirty seven, to be exact--"and I've still got out requests to several herbologists in Africa, Asia, and Austrailia for some of their local fauna. Especially medicinal and potions plants. If I'm going to pull my weight around here, it can't all be the fun plants. Although I do have a huge specimen of Mimbulus Mimbletonia that I've had since Hogwarts." Neville realised he'd been going on a bit and laughed at himself. "Sorry. Herbology is my passion, so do be careful asking me about it. I'll likely talk your ear off."

[shh_roger]

Roger's eyes widened. "Five hundred and thirty-seven? How big is your greenhouse; or do you have more than just the one?" He laughed when Neville trailed off and apologised for rambling.

"Well, you don't need to apologise for that. I may not know much about plants, but I know how to get rambly about something I love. I'm starting a new carpentry business, and if you know what's good for you, you won't ask about my new workshop." He smiled wryly. "Hermione could vouch for that."

[shh_neville]

Neville laughed and nodded his head. "When you find something you truly enjoy, it's hard not to become rather... obsessive about it. The greenhouse was huge when I got here, but it's rapidly filling up. I might have to add onto it."

He tilted his head and thought about it. "Actually, do you build using strictly Muggle construction or magic methods also? I'm wondering if, when I need it, I can get the addition so that it's capable of utilizing wizard space technology."

"And really, five hundred thirty seven isn't so much. Not considering all the different species I'll need to be considered fully stocked. Right now, I just want to make sure I have the supplies on hand to keep all the potions makers and, hopefully, the clinic stocked with everything they need for day to day operation. It's just... medicines and the like are important, especially now."

[shh_roger]

Roger nodded, interested when Neville mentioned expanding the greenhouse. At his question, Roger frowned slightly, considering it.

"We actually do more with Muggle construction," he said. "With magic worked in for larger jobs -- like I'd imagine your greenhouse would be. What I would do was bring in a Charms expert to handle the enlargement charms and such, while my crew and I put up the structure, itself."

"Have you spoken with Fred and George, about possibly helping to stock the apothecary with ingredients? Also, I think the hospital's really needing potions at the moment."

[shh_neville]

Neville was sure his face was one big blank while Roger spoke about charms and whatnot involved in construction--he really was out of his element with anything not growing--but when Roger started talking about apothecaries and potions, he perked back up.

"I'm no potions maker; the only reason I didn't die in Snape's class was because Hermione basically walked me through every step in the most complicated ones. But I can certainly go 'round to the twins' shop. As for the hospital... well, I have no idea who they get their potions from. And I'm not really comfortable with interrupting them to ask, you know?"

He winced and shrugged, making a mental note to advertise for a business managery type person who could also help out with the planting and pruning and ... yeah. He needed help. Desperately.

[shh_roger]

He smiled. "Well, I mean, you don't have to know how to make the potions themselves, but a lot of your plants might make good potions ingredients and such," he said. "You could bring the ingredients, and they've someone at the shop who'll make the potions. I think locally-grown ingredients would be somewhat of a draw."

"I see what you mean." Roger wasn't quite as comfortable putting himself out there as he could be, himself. Most of his business was word-of-mouth, even now. "But, you know. You could have a really successful business if you make yourself known, I guess. I could ask around, see who'd know about who makes potions for the hospital."