RP: Reception for Lucy Diggory

[shh_cedric]

Date: 8 July, 2005
Characters: Lucretia Diggory, Cedric Diggory, Katie Bell, Ernie MacMillan, Eleanor Branstone, Morag MacDougal, Rabastan Lestrange, Lisa Turpin, Percy Weasley, Su Li, Irma Pince, Rita Skeeter, others as they arrive...
Location: museum
Status: public
Summary: The reception for Lucy at the museum; a chance to meet a real, live

Comments

[shh_lisa]

She had never intended to attend any art exhibition so long as she could help it: Lisa Turpin was not one for painting. But Su had written her such a sweet note, and she felt a glaring lack of female company- mentally reminding herself to owl Hermione, she pushed open the front door.

Lisa was dressed in a beautifully embroidered white jacket she'd plucked from the closet of her house's former Muggle occupants, with a simple black skirt and white heels. She headed straight past what looked like a mural-in-progress, where Cedric Diggory was engaged in conversation with Morag McDougal, not bothering to look at it- she was looking for Su, not paintings. Hopefully they could walk through, drink a glass of wine, and head off somewhere a bit less- artsy.

Sighing deeply, she began to climb the staricase, thinking of the meeting she'd set with Vincent Crabbe later on in the evening. Truth be told, she was slightly nervous- while she had achieved an Outstanding on her Potions NEWT, it had been quite a while since she'd bothered to study it. A well-dressed couple, backs turned, blocked the top of the stairs, and she stopped just below the top step.

"Excuse me," she murmured, glancing past them into the hallway above.

[shh_ernie]

At the sound of Lisa's voice, Ernie turned around so quickly that he nearly lost his balance. After all, it had haunted his dreams (both pleasant and not) for a number of years. Thankfully, not recently. But...fuck. This was the last thing he needed after seeing that...painting downstairs.

"Lisa!"

He glanced from Eleanor to Lisa and back again, wondering what the proper protocol was for situations like this. "Er..." He needed to act as if this sort of thing happened everyday. Tightening his grip on Eleanor's hand (mostly to reassure himself), he said, "Um, Eleanor...this is Lisa...Turpin." Yes, best to address the new girlfriend first. "Lisa, this is Eleanor...Branstone." Should he add that Eleanor was his girlfriend? No, she could likely figure it out.

[shh_lisa]

When Ernie turned, Lisa took about a half second to mentally kick herself in the liver. How could she not have recognized the back of his head? She'd been very careful to avoid Ernie since that- episode- at the Ministry. Some Auror you are, she thought bitterly, feeling her heart rate begin to rise rather significantly. Never had she been more thankful that she so rarely blushed.

"Er-" was all she could manage for a moment, then a polite smile to Eleanor. That was someone she could look at without dissolving into a gibbering mess. Surely- well, she'd known about Megan. Surely this was another- date, of Ernie's. Perhaps she barely knew him at all. It would be far beyond the pale for Lisa to drag her into their mess.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor," she said smoothly, holding out a hand. Meeting the other woman's eyes, she suddenly recognized her. "You- work at Hermione Granger's shop, don't you? She's an- old friend of mine, from Hogwarts."

[shh_eleanor]

Eleanor had begun to move over when she heard someone excuse themselves just behind them. Until she heard what Ernie called her. Whirling around, Eleanor stared a bit dumbly as Ernie introduced Lisa. Honestly, she'd been coming into the bookshop for months. How was it Eleanor hadn't recognized her?

"It's nice to meet you too," she said a bit quieter than she'd have liked, reaching out to shake Lisa's hand quickly. "Um, yes. Well, not anymore. I, er stopped working there recently."

Not one of her finer moments, but she hadn't actually been prepared to deal with this. Especially so soon after learning Ernie had wanted to marry the woman. Well, that wasn't Lisa's fault, she reminded herself.

[shh_ernie]

This was bad, bad, bad. Eleanor was talking too quietly.

Fuck. She knew that he wanted to marry Lisa. Looking at them, they were almost polar opposites. Dark hair vs. light. Tall vs. short. Crazy vs. sane. That wasn't fair, he admonished himself. The whole business of them trying again was crazy on both of their parts. And neither of them had handled the break up well.

"Er...yes, Eleanor's opening up her own shop. She's going to sell soap. It's quite good!" He was talking faster and faster. Perhaps if no one else could talk, then it would all work out. However, he did have to breathe at some point.

[shh_lisa]

"Oh, that's- that's wonderful," said Lisa, studiously avoiding looking at Ernie at all. And what was she to say to that, oh, soap, lovely, and I'm the Head of the Department of Mysteries? Truth be told, Eleanor was always the sort of girl Lisa had imagined Ernie in her darker moments settling down with: shorter then him, blonde, modest, and sweet. Unconsciously, she tugged the hem of her rather short skirt down and wished dearly she'd worn flats instead of heels.

"How's, um-" she had foolishly begun speaking before bringing herself to look at Ernie, and as her eyes lifted slightly to meet his she felt something unpleasant drop into the pit of her stomach. He looked good- well, she corrected herself, better than he had since the war had ended. A voice instead her head that sounded suspiciously like Draco's began muttering about Hufflepuffs breeding like rabbits, and she thought for a moment that she might faint.

"How's work?" she finally managed. "I feel just- awful for leaving when I did."

[shh_eleanor]

She should probably say something, although she was a bit confused as to why they had to stand there and attempt polite conversation. Merlin, this was uncomfortable. For everyone, apparently. Ernie was babbling, Lisa wasn't looking at him at all (not that Eleanor was very upset about that), and she really wanted to excuse herself to the loo. But she wasn't about to leave Ernie alone with his ex. Whom he'd wanted to marry.

Well, it had sounded complimentary, anyway. "Er, thank you."

Hadn't Cedric mentioned there was wine? Eleanor started looking around for that while Lisa asked Ernie about work.

[shh_ernie]

"Work is...alright." This was neither the time nor the place to go into deep philosophical conversations about the state of the justice system in Stoatshead. "We're getting on fine without you." It sounded harsh, but it was true. In more ways than one. He was trying to be nice, but it was difficult. Lisa was standing there in her short skirt and her heels and looking as if she hadn't a care in the world. Couldn't she have the decency to look like she'd been hurt somewhat by what had happened?

And Eleanor was glancing around, looking as if she'd like to escape the entire situation. He didn't blame her, but...Merlin, what if she was trying to escape, well, him? Pushing down the rising panic, he said, more calmly than he felt, "Er...it was...um, yes...to see you again, Lisa. We should be on our way." He nodded at her.

[shh_lisa]

Lisa felt rather like she'd been slapped in the face, and didn't make much effort to fight the anger bubbling as she watched at Ernie attempt to brush her off as if she was some slag from his school years still chasing after him. They'd dated for years, a damn sight longer than he'd known this blonde- breathing deeply, she thought briefly of how nearly all of her friends had never been able to do anything but go on about what a stuffy prat Ernie was, which comforted her slightly.

"Good to hear," said Lisa, and I'm sure no thanks to you, she added silently. With a start, she remembered that Ernie's first mission had been to guard the remaining shards of the veil- could he still be assigned? Where on earth was it now?

"Right, of course," she said, mouth ticking slightly as if she rather wanted to say something else but couldn't. "Nice to meet you, Eleanor."

[shh_eleanor]

Was it a bad sign that Ernie sounded rather bitter. Eleanor thought it probably was.

Oh, thank Merlin. They were leaving. She could finally excuse herself to the toilets. Although being on the third floor was going to make her escape home rather difficult. That was a long drop out the window. Provided there were windows in the loo.

"Yes, it was nice to meet you too," she told Lisa, attempting a smile. Merlin, she hope it didn't look more like a grimace. It sort of felt like one.

Shaking her head, Eleanor waited until they were out of Lisa's earshot to turn to Ernie. "I, um... I've got to use the toilet." Where the bloody hell were the toilets?