RP: Plans for the shelter

[shh_mandy]

Date: 6 June 2005
Characters: Mandy Brocklehurst, Greg Goyle, Dean Thomas, Roger Davies
Location: The animal shelter.
Status: Private
Summary: Vet, volunteer, architect and builder meet to go over the plans for the new shelter building.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_greg]

Greg hurried back to the Shelter, grumbling under his breath at the idiocy of some farmers. He walked inside and hung his jacket up, relieved to find he hadn't ended up being late to his own meeting

[shh_mandy]

Mandy poured tea for them both and sat down as well. She nodded in sympathy. "Sounds like a bad job. Glad you made it back in time for the meeting, though." She took milk and a spoon of sugar and stirred. "It's not that much that needs adjusting from the proposed plans, but you've got more of a handle on the detail technical needs than I do."

She took a sip of her tea, sensed his temper as he wolfed down his sandwich, but also knew the annoyance wasn't directed at her, so she just steered the discussion to something less aggravating. "Did you get a chance yet to check out the pond like you'd mentioned?"

[shh_greg]

Greg sighed as he started to relax. "I suppose it could have been worse. It was only fourteen out of a herd of forty but I'll need to keep an eye on them. Some could still be developing symptoms

[shh_mandy]

"That sounds great then," said Mandy, looking at him with a grin spreading over her face. "Gillyweed? Did you actually dive in? The pond's deep, it must have been freezing down there." She leaned back and eyed the vet. Greg was quite fit -- very tall and strongly built. Too bad she hadn't been around for that, she mused, inwardly laughing at herself.

"Yeah, that's a great resource. I don't know Crabbe or what he does," she confessed. She looked at him more curiously. Goyle and Crabbe had seemed inseparable at school, and their reputation hadn't exactly been the best. But Greg didn't seem to hold his former housemate in very high esteem now. "Professor Slughorn is in town, isn't he? Do you know if he still makes potions? And there's the apothecary, don't they make some of their own?"

[shh_dean]

Dean had been busy with the remodeling of the ground floor at Hammerside. While his architectural job paid the bills, he found himself devoting more time to the renovations that were eventually going to lead to Hammerside Dance and Fitness. It was going to be brilliant and he couldn't have chosen two better partners than Fleur and Dennis

[shh_mandy]

Mandy left the kitchen and approached Dean in the reception area, giving him a warm smile. "Hello, Dean, good to see you! I'm so excited about your plans, it's going to be great to go over them with you." She knew Dean too well for formal handshakes but maybe not quite well enough yet for a quick hug, so she tucked her hands in her denim pockets and her smile turned a bit sheepish. "Sorry I forgot to owl back about the lunch tomorrow, I've had so much on my mind. We're still on, right? Socks at one o'clock?"

She gestured down the corridor. "Greg just came in from one of the farms, he'll be right here. Roger's not arrived yet, but we could probably start discussing the plans when Greg's ready and Roger can jump in with his input when he comes? His suggestions will probably depend on the specific needs we discuss with you anyway."

[shh_dean]

Dean noticed Mandy's slight bit of discomfort and wondered if it had to do with his relationship with Seamus. He didn't want to make it worse for her, so he grinned at her. "Great to see you too, Mandy. I'm glad you liked the plans and I can't wait to see what you and the Vet have conjured up for additions to the design." He smiled ahd put his hands behind his back. "Ah, you see, I was going to pester you about that today but I'll let you off the hook now." He winked at her. "Sure, I'll pay even since I've got 4 pair of unmatched socks. That laundry monster in my dryer can be a pain."

After she gestured down the hallway, Dean walked by her, reached out and touched her arm. He turned his face toward her and said sincerely. "You know, it's just great to see you and that wonderful smile of yours, Mandy." He dropped his hand and grinned as he walked down the corridor.

[shh_mandy]

Mandy looked after Dean for a second, feeling like she might go after him and hug him after all. She'd been a bit distracted and anxious this week, her stomach knotted in gymnastics over Zach more than she liked. With his simple straightforward kindness, it had taken Dean one second to make her feel a little less fragile and unsure, and he couldn't even know she'd needed it, it was just who he was. Just such a sweet bloke.

She followed him into the kitchen, clearing the cups and plates away from the table. Greg was gone, probably to get his notes that she'd seen him jotting down since Dean's drawings arrived. "We can talk here first; it's rather cramped but we don't have much in the way of conference room facilities, I'm afraid. Your plans will help with that though," she said with a grin. "Want a cup of tea, or a cold drink?"

She added as she turned to the cupboard, "Good for me your laundry monster is greedy. I've used up all my odd ones and I hate to break up matched pairs."

[shh_roger]

Roger checked things over at the shop one more time before he stepped outside. Seamus and Harry were still manning things, and Marcus was offsite. It had been a productive day already, which was good considering he'd be out for part of tomorrow to attend Lockhart's wedding with Hermione.

It was fortunate that the shelter was close enough to walk to, but considering the time, he simply Apparated, not wanting the others to be waiting around for him any longer. At least he and Mandy had been able to clear the air a bit. Once this job started later this summer, things would likely have been uncomfortable for them both.

When he arrived, he walked up to the door and opened it, looking around and spotting Dean and Mandy in the reception area. He'd been here before, of course, with Blaise and Terry as well as when Zuzu had adopted him, so he knew the layout well. Smiling, he lifted his hand in a wave and pulled his trusty dog-eared notebook out of his pocket as he headed over.

[shh_mandy]

"Hello, Roger, busy day?" Mandy smiled as Roger tagged along to the kitchen, appreciating that she felt able to greet him so easily again. "Greg'll be right back, so we're almost set to start. He went to get his notes, I think."

With the table cleared, she lay the folder with the shelter's copy of the plans there, and went to the fridge. "Dean's just said yes to a cold drink, would you like one too?" she asked Roger, peering in at the few soda cans in the fridge. "Um, I've got lemonade and ... lemonade?" She took two cans out, questioning them with an arch of an eyebrow.

"Just have a chair," she offered, and went back to the reception desk to get the extra chair from there, wondering if it would even be possible to squeeze it four chairs around the table. It would be quite practical to eventually get a separate conference room, she thought with a sigh.

[shh_greg]

Greg hurried back to the shelter from his house, the folders containing his notes in his hand. He mentally cursed the farmer that had called him out this morning as he walked. He hadn't intended to be this disorganised for this meeting, wanting to make a good impression. He knew he shouldn't get too fussed. The life of a vet was often unpredictable and you either accepted it or found another job.

He arrived back at the shelter and found that Dean and Roger had arrived while he was gone. The kitchen seemed oddly crowded with the extra people and he had to stop himself from hunching his shoulders. He also recognised the two men in the kitchen from school and had to fight the nervous flutter that grew in his chest.

"Sorry I'm late," he said with an apologetic smile. "I was out all morning on a call and I needed to get my notes." He paused then realised that it was probably better to introduce himself rather than just assume they'd recognise him. "I'm Greg Goyle by the way. The new vet."

[shh_dean]

"Roger, good to see you." Dean grinned as he stood up and held out his hand to Roger. "How've you been?"

"Thanks, Mandy. you know the way to a man's heart." He smiled after she handed him a lemonade. He opened the drink and took a sip before he said, "and I guess that's lemonade."

Dean looked at the man entering the kitchen, surprised to find someone who was about the same height as him. He recognized him as one of Malfoy's goons from school after he saw the man give an apologetic smile and look around nervously, he decided to give the man a chance. Dean held out his hand and smiled. "Hi, I'm Dean Thomas, fairly new architect. How're you doing, Greg?"