RP: Bookworm Book Club Meeting

[shh_hermione]

Date: June 5, 2005
Characters: Hermione Granger, Roger Davies, Ernie Macmillan, Arabella Figg, Luna Lovegood, Eleanor Branstone, Oliver Wood, Caradoc Dearborn, Irma Pince, Dennis Creevey, Orla Quirke, Mandy Brocklehurst, Ron Weasley, Victoria Frobisher, Anyone else
Status: Public
Summary: The first meeting of the Bookworm Book Club
Completion:

Comments

[shh_ernie]

Ernie pushed open the door to the Bookworm. Hopefully, Eleanor would be here. He had told her he was coming straight from work, however, so he wouldn't be surprised if she'd popped home after work, or, more likely, popped by her shop.

Last night, unable to sleep and remembering that the book club was meeting today, he'd poked through Eleanor's bookcases, looking for something to bring. In the very back, wedged behind several fantasy novels, he'd found what he thought was a book about pirates. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why the people on the cover were half-naked. Shrugging, he'd settled on the couch. When he finally closed the book a few hours later, he was (a) shocked that Eleanor had such a book and (b) a bit ashamed that he'd read the entire thing cover to cover. Although he had to admit he'd enjoyed the part where the proper lady became a swashbuckling pirate wench, wielding a sword and such. Best not to think on that too much.

After a quick glance around, his Auror instincts getting the better of him, he headed up the stairs to the Loft. Where he discovered that no one else was here. Only Hermione and Roger. His first instinct was to depart, but he'd promised Eleanor he would attend. He also thought that perhaps he should try to clear the air with Hermione.

[shh_hermione]

When she heard someone enter the room, Hermione looked up from the book she'd been browsing. At seeing who it was, she smiled politely. "Good evening, Ernie. I'm afraid that Eleanor ran home after work, though I believe she mentioned coming back for the meeting."

"If you'd like, we've got drinks and snacks for the members." She gestured to the table of refreshments. "If not, do feel free to sit wherever you'd like. We'll begin at ten past seven so that everyone has a reasonable amount of time to arrive."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie nodded. "Thank you, but I'm fine." Truth was, he was starving--not having eaten since this morning--but he didn't want to be the only one eating. And he doubted snacks would fill him up. Unless he ate them all.

He looked around. "This is...er...very nice." He'd not yet been up in the Loft. "How have you been?" he asked politely.

[shh_hermione]

"If you feel like having anything later, it'll be there," she said simply, wishing someone else would arrive.

"Thank you. The customers use it for reading space during shop hours, and Ron uses it for chess games and such a couple of days a week," she explained in the polite tone she'd been using. After their last meeting, there would be no casual friendliness or silly teasing, since she had no intention of somehow saying the wrong thing and sending him storming out again. "I've been well. And you?"

[shh_ernie]

"I've been well," Ernie replied. "Very well actually." He was unable to help the grin that crossed his face. Thinking about Eleanor had a tendency to do that. Speaking of which...

"Er...I...I know you were only looking out for Eleanor the last time we spoke, Hermione, but..." He swallowed hard and glanced away for a moment. "I thought you and I were friends. Do you honestly have such a low opinion of me?"

Are you absolutely certain that you want to hear the answer to that question?

Well, it was too late to take it back now.

[shh_hermione]

"If we weren't friends, I'd not have felt comfortable teasing you, just as you've teased me in the past," she pointed out. "There are very few people that I would consider giving the title of 'friend' to, so the simple fact that I'd considered you one should show my opinion of you."

"However, I was obviously mistaken on the exact nature of our friendship, for which I do apologize. I was concerned about Eleanor, though I was teasing you at the time, if I recall correctly," she said. "Don't worry, though. It won't happen again. I learn from my mistakes. I do appreciate you attending this evening, for what it's worth."

"Are you certain you'd not like punch and a biscuit? This club could very well be a disaster with no one showing at all, so you should at least get something out of showing up."

[shh_ernie]

Now he just felt foolish. She'd been teasing him. Fuck. Why hadn't that occurred to him?

"I...I think I was a bit sensitive." Was? "Er...I am a bit sensitive at times. Things...er...my past relationships haven't exactly worked out well...and I...well, Eleanor is important to me." He gave Hermione a smile. "I'm sorry, too."

Since she'd offered again, Ernie thought it only polite to have something to drink at the very least. He helped himself to some punch. "And Elle's coming. Or at least that's what she told me." He added with a shake of his head and a laugh. "She tends to lose track of time if she's at her shop."

[shh_roger]

Roger came out of the kitchen with the collection of Frost poems he'd bought in the shop today; after he'd brought the food out, he'd left it on the table. He'd been at the book shop nearly since he'd left work for the day at six, helping Hermione get things set up.

When he walked into the shop proper, a glance around told him Hermione was upstairs, with Ernie and whomever else had arrived. He took them two at a time to the loft to find Hermione and Ernie chatting. Last he'd heard from Hermione, they weren't talking because of something Ernie had said or done that had made her think twice about their friendship. He wondered if they'd cleared the air. Roger glanced between them, noting Hermione's politely cool expression, and moved to stand next to her.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said quietly to Hermione. "Forgot my book. Hullo, Ernie. Thanks for coming." He looked at the other man carefully.

[shh_hermione]

"Well, I'm pleased that you and Eleanor are doing well," she said. "An apology is unnecessary, but it's accepted."

Roger came back when Ernie was talking about Eleanor, and she smiled at him. "No worries. Ernie was just talking about Eleanor," she told him.

Looking back at Ernie, she nodded. "Preparing a shop for opening is quite a lot of fun. Plans and organization are wonderful things, after all."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie extended his hand. "Hello, Roger. It's good to see you." He hadn't spoken to him since Ron's birthday party. Which had been back in March. Now that he'd thought about it, he'd made a bit of an arse out of himself with Roger as well. It was amazing that Eleanor hadn't reconsidered dating him after that fiasco.

"Only you would think that plans and organization are wonderful things," he replied to Hermione with a grin. "Well, you and Eleanor." He turned to Roger. "Hermione had me on quite a strict study schedule sixth year. To be fair, however, I did have the best marks I'd ever had in Potions that year."

[shh_roger]

Roger took Ernie's offered hand, shook it. "Yeah, good to see you, too," he said slowly. "How are you?"

It wasn't what he'd expected to hear from Ernie considering his attitude towards Roger at Ron's party, but he rather liked this attitude better. Perhaps he's taken his head out of his arse. Roger smiled, hoping that he and Hermione had managed to clear up whatever had happened between them. Otherwise, he and Ernie would still have a problem. He stuck a hand in his pocket, holding his book at his side.

"Sorry I missed that," he said when Ernie brought up Hermione's study sessions. "I was well out of school by your sixth year. It seems like everywhere I turn though, I meet someone you used to help study at Hogwarts, Hermione. I feel like I missed out."

[shh_hermione]

"No, you're not," Hermione said dryly, nudging Roger in the ribs with her elbow. "You roll your eyes when I talk about planning."

She focused on Ernie and smiled smugly. "I told you that it simply required organization and time management to succeed in Potions. Regardless of what sort of teacher Professor Snape happened to be, there was little fault he could find in potions that were done accurately and turned in on time, allowing for surprises and mishaps, of course."

"I've been teaching you how to balance your books," she told Roger, smiling slightly as she remembered that training. "If you'd like, I can create a color coded schedule for you, but I think you very well might hex me if I tried."

[shh_ernie]

When she mentioned a color coded schedule, Ernie groaned, "And that's when I stopped fancying you."

Ernie sipped his punch and eyed the biscuits. To distract himself from his hunger, he said, "Roger, you did a excellent work on Eleanor's house by the way. She loves the workrooms and the bedroom looks fantastic." He blushed and explained, "I've, er, moved in." Suddenly struck by an idea, he added enthusiastically, "The two of you should come for dinner."

[shh_roger]

"I don't roll my eyes when you talk about planning. Least not when I thought you were looking," he added in a lower voice before he grinned.

"And yes, I'm learning loads from you about my books," he said, meeting her eyes briefly to see if he could catch a blush on her face. "And such."

Roger glanced up at Ernie's comment about fancying Hermione, though, eyes narrowing slightly. Fortunately, Ernie brought up his work on Eleanor's place. Well. He'd said he'd stopped fancying Hermione.

After a moment, Roger smiled while Hermione turned to greet Mrs. Figg. "Thanks," he said sincerely. "I'm really glad she's enjoying it and it works well for her." When Ernie mentioned that he'd moved in with Eleanor, Roger smiled, but before he could say anything about that, Ernie was inviting them for dinner.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, sure." He guessed. He really barely knew Ernie, and would need to make sure Hermione was into it and they were both free. "When were you thinking?"

[shh_ernie]

Perhaps he'd been a bit too pushy. He really just wanted to make up for his previous behavior toward Roger. And Hermione. Plus, Eleanor kept saying that she wanted to be more social.

"Er, I dunno. I reckon I should check with Eleanor." Ernie ducked his head. "Still getting used to this 'living together' business. I'll find out and owl you. Or Hermione."

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers, feeling a bit awkward. "Er...I heard that work is to begin soon on the school. Will you be involved in that at all?"

[shh_roger]

"That sounds good," he said with a smile. "Definitely let us know when you'd like to do it." He hoped he'd not been too harsh on Ernie. Whatever had happened at Ron's party, Ernie was clearly trying to make up for it now. But Roger had trouble reading such situations anymore.

"Yeah, Professors Lupin and McGonagall are moving forward with that now. They've brought in a few different crews, and mine will be helping out as well." He flipped the pages of his book absently. "It'll be good to have a proper school in town. So, how's life as an Auror? I'd guess you like things to be quiet at your job." He chuckled. "Beats the alternative."