RP: Ring a Ding Ding
Date: 30 July 2005
Characters: Ernie Macmillan
Location: Hastings
Status: Private
Summary: Ernie goes shopping.
Completion: Complete
Eloise had been correct. There was a jeweler's in Hastings. And it sold much more than pendants. Ernie'd taken an extra long lunch and had Apparated to the wizarding village. Now that he had the Branstones' blessing, there wasn't much standing in the way of his proposal. He knew that Eleanor's shop would be a success. And their six-month anniversary was coming up.
There were other people in the jewelry shop. Hopefully, he could just look around without...
"May I help you, young man?"
"Pardon?" He glanced up from a display of watches to find an older woman on the other side of the counter, looking expectantly at him.
"May I help you?" She repeated. "Any particular one you'd like to see?" With a flick of her wand, the watches rose from the case and hovered in the air before Ernie.
"No, I wasn't..." He shook his head. "Er...I'm here to look at..." He lowered his voice. Although there didn't appear to be anyone he knew within earshot. Or eyesight for that matter. "Rings....engagement rings."
The woman beamed and clapped her hands together. "So you're looking to ask that special girl for her hand, are you? Come this way." Another flick of her wand and the watches returned to the display. She walked toward a case near the back of the shop, beckoning Ernie to follow her. "Why don't you tell me a bit about what you're looking for?"
Ernie shrugged. "Well, Eleanor--that's her name--she said she wants something simple. Other than that..." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. This was likely one of the biggest decisions he'd made in his life thus far. Truth be told, he was scared to death of buggering it up.
"Well, we have a lovely selection of rings." She gestured to the display case between them. "Anything strike your fancy?"
"Er..." His eyes swept over the rings. None of them seemed to suit Eleanor. The simple ones looked cheap. But he knew she wouldn't wear anything flashy. And it was less than likely that he could afford anything overly large.
The woman tapped her index finger against her lips. "Why don't you tell me about your girl? Eleanor, right?"
Looking up from the case, he smiled. "She's...the most wonderful person I've ever met. She's warm and intelligent. She's opening her own shop. And she's terribly supportive of me. I'm an Auror." He ducked his head at this last admission. "Although she isn't afraid to tell me I'm being an irrational git. I...I want to find something as lovely as she is." Merlin, he could feel himself blushing. He sounded like a bloody girl.
"Now there's no reason to be embarrassed," the woman said, patting Ernie's hand. "It's nice to see a young man so in love. And unafraid to admit it. And I think I have just the thing for you."
A moment later, a ring lay on the display case in front of Ernie. How he hadn't noticed it before was a mystery to him. It was quite simply...perfect.
"This is the one." The woman wasn't asking a question.
Glancing up, he nodded. Perhaps he shouldn't look so eager, however, as she hadn't mentioned price. Oh, who did he think he was fooling? He would move heaven and earth to buy this ring for Eleanor. "How much?" he asked softly. Then he braced himself for the worse. Perhaps he could take a second job. Security at Xanadu or some such thing.
The woman looked at him for a long moment. "An Auror, you say?"
"Yes, madam. In Stoatshead Hill."
"Well, that's an important profession. And I daresay you probably don't make much money."
"Er...I get by alright." He wasn't about to go into the fact that he was mostly paid in meal vouchers.
"Of course you do." She nodded before mentioning a price.
Ernie could feel his eyes go wide. While it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, it was more galleons than he currently had on him. And he'd need to sell a comic book or two to make up the difference.
The woman laughed. "Now, young man, if this is the ring for your girl, then she shall have it. I think we can work out a payment plan."
Within thirty minutes, he'd left all of the galleons he'd brought with him at the shop. He'd also promised to send payment every month for the next six. But that ring...well, it was in a box. In his pocket.
Now he merely needed to find a place to hide it. Until the time was right.
Characters: Ernie Macmillan
Location: Hastings
Status: Private
Summary: Ernie goes shopping.
Completion: Complete
Eloise had been correct. There was a jeweler's in Hastings. And it sold much more than pendants. Ernie'd taken an extra long lunch and had Apparated to the wizarding village. Now that he had the Branstones' blessing, there wasn't much standing in the way of his proposal. He knew that Eleanor's shop would be a success. And their six-month anniversary was coming up.
There were other people in the jewelry shop. Hopefully, he could just look around without...
"May I help you, young man?"
"Pardon?" He glanced up from a display of watches to find an older woman on the other side of the counter, looking expectantly at him.
"May I help you?" She repeated. "Any particular one you'd like to see?" With a flick of her wand, the watches rose from the case and hovered in the air before Ernie.
"No, I wasn't..." He shook his head. "Er...I'm here to look at..." He lowered his voice. Although there didn't appear to be anyone he knew within earshot. Or eyesight for that matter. "Rings....engagement rings."
The woman beamed and clapped her hands together. "So you're looking to ask that special girl for her hand, are you? Come this way." Another flick of her wand and the watches returned to the display. She walked toward a case near the back of the shop, beckoning Ernie to follow her. "Why don't you tell me a bit about what you're looking for?"
Ernie shrugged. "Well, Eleanor--that's her name--she said she wants something simple. Other than that..." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. This was likely one of the biggest decisions he'd made in his life thus far. Truth be told, he was scared to death of buggering it up.
"Well, we have a lovely selection of rings." She gestured to the display case between them. "Anything strike your fancy?"
"Er..." His eyes swept over the rings. None of them seemed to suit Eleanor. The simple ones looked cheap. But he knew she wouldn't wear anything flashy. And it was less than likely that he could afford anything overly large.
The woman tapped her index finger against her lips. "Why don't you tell me about your girl? Eleanor, right?"
Looking up from the case, he smiled. "She's...the most wonderful person I've ever met. She's warm and intelligent. She's opening her own shop. And she's terribly supportive of me. I'm an Auror." He ducked his head at this last admission. "Although she isn't afraid to tell me I'm being an irrational git. I...I want to find something as lovely as she is." Merlin, he could feel himself blushing. He sounded like a bloody girl.
"Now there's no reason to be embarrassed," the woman said, patting Ernie's hand. "It's nice to see a young man so in love. And unafraid to admit it. And I think I have just the thing for you."
A moment later, a ring lay on the display case in front of Ernie. How he hadn't noticed it before was a mystery to him. It was quite simply...perfect.
"This is the one." The woman wasn't asking a question.
Glancing up, he nodded. Perhaps he shouldn't look so eager, however, as she hadn't mentioned price. Oh, who did he think he was fooling? He would move heaven and earth to buy this ring for Eleanor. "How much?" he asked softly. Then he braced himself for the worse. Perhaps he could take a second job. Security at Xanadu or some such thing.
The woman looked at him for a long moment. "An Auror, you say?"
"Yes, madam. In Stoatshead Hill."
"Well, that's an important profession. And I daresay you probably don't make much money."
"Er...I get by alright." He wasn't about to go into the fact that he was mostly paid in meal vouchers.
"Of course you do." She nodded before mentioning a price.
Ernie could feel his eyes go wide. While it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, it was more galleons than he currently had on him. And he'd need to sell a comic book or two to make up the difference.
The woman laughed. "Now, young man, if this is the ring for your girl, then she shall have it. I think we can work out a payment plan."
Within thirty minutes, he'd left all of the galleons he'd brought with him at the shop. He'd also promised to send payment every month for the next six. But that ring...well, it was in a box. In his pocket.
Now he merely needed to find a place to hide it. Until the time was right.