RP: Visiting an Old Friend

[shh_hannah]

Date: Aug 20th, 2005
Characters: Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillian, Eleanor Branstone
Location: Ernie and Elle's cottage
Status: Private, although Elle may be involved. 
Summary: Hannah makes good on her promise to visit Ernie after his accident.  Eleanor eventually joins them after work.
Completion: Incomplete.

Hannah felt horrible that she hadn't been

Comments

[shh_ernie]

There was a knock on the door. Ernie paused the movie he'd been watching and peered through the spyhole of the front door. It was Hannah and he opened the door.

"Hey, Han," he greeted, giving her a one-armed hug. Although his ribs felt much better, he still moved a bit gingerly. Thankfully, the bruises were almost gone. His nose would likely always have that odd bump, but Eleanor said it made him look dashing. He suspected that she was merely trying to make him feel better. Hannah's arms were laden. "Let me help you with those," he said, grabbing one casserole dish from her and leading her down the hall into the kitchen.

[shh_hannah]

Hannah smiled as Ernie opened the door for her. He had obviously been through a lot, but he looked better than Cedric had warned her to expect.

"Hey," she said, returning the hug as best she could with the casseroles. "I'm sorry I didn't get here to visit you earlier. These are for you and Eleanor; they should last for several days and you can freeze them if you don't feel like them right now." Ernie took one of the casseroles and she followed him into the kitchen. "How are you feeling? Is Eleanor here?"

[shh_ernie]

"Thank you. I'm certain Eleanor will appreciate not having to cook. She's been doing all of it since..." His voice trailed off. "She's at work. First time, she's been in the shop in over a week."

He stowed the casseroles in the refrigerator. "I'm going alright," he admitted with a shrug. Still scared to death about his career prospects once he'd left the Aurors, but that was another matter altogether.

Realizing that he was forgetting his manners, he said, with a smile, "Welcome to our home by the way. I'd give you the tour, but stairs are still a bit tricky. Have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

[shh_hannah]

"Well, I'm glad I could do something to help," she assured him. She was curious about the accident but she had a feeling he wouldn't want to talk about it. "Well, I'm glad Eleanor thinks you're well along enough that you can be alone, but I'm glad to keep you company for as long as you like."

"Good to hear," Hannah replied.

"Don't worry about a tour, I'm here to see you, goof. It looks like I interrupted a movie; what are you watching? I don't need anything, but I'll get you something if you like." She was trying to be nice without treating him like an invalid.

[shh_ernie]

"Perhaps the two of you could have lunch or something?" Ernie suggested. "Without me hovering around, trying to make certain you're getting along." He grinned a bit sheepishly.

"Why wouldn't they hire you? You earned good marks in Potions and Herbology. Seems perfect for working in an apothecary." While he was glad to hear that she wouldn't ask him about sex again, he felt slightly guilty. If she needed to talk, he would listen no matter how uncomfortable it made him. "Er...you know you can...talk to me...if you have need...although...perhaps...a female perspective might be...er...more useful to you." He briefly considered offering Eleanor as an alternative. But that meant Hannah would know entirely too much about Ernie's sex life. That made him about as comfortable as talking about sex with Hannah himself would make him.

[shh_eleanor]

It had been good to get back to work. Perhaps Zach had been right when he'd said it wasn't good for two people to spend that much time together. Still, she'd been happy to get back home when he'd showed up to relieve her early. Even if she did still think it was unnecessary for him to do so. He made it very hard to argue

[shh_hannah]

"Lunch would be nice sometime; we'll have to set it up," she agreed. "Do you know when Eleanor is going to be home?"

"Yes, I did, and George seems to think it'd be good, but I have to interview with Fred still. With George there might be a conflict of interest, and anyway they'd both be my bosses." She smiled at him, "Really, Ernie, don't worry about it. I'll find someone else to discuss delicate female matters with, I promise."

At that moment, she heard the door open. Eleanor didn't look very happy to see her; she hoped she wasn't stepping on the other woman's toes by visiting Ernie while she was out. "It's good to see you too, Eleanor, I hope you don't mind my visiting. I wanted to check in on Ernie and I brought a couple of casseroles to make up for missing that dinner."

Hannah decided not to bring up the letter or Ernie's family business; that he could tell her about in his own time.

[shh_ernie]

Ernie wasn't prepared to see Eleanor just yet. He thought he'd have some time between when Hannah left and when she arrived home to determine exactly what he wanted to say to her. He didn't know about what he was more upset: that she'd owled Mother, that she'd kept it from him, or that she knew Mother had owled back. On the other hand, he didn't want her to spend one more minute fretting about what his mother had written.

Before he could make a decision about that, he realized that the letter was sitting on the couch. He reached around Hannah and snatched it up. "Er...I need some water," he excused himself to the kitchen. Not wanting to be a complete liar, he took a glass down from the cupboard and filled it, taking a long drink.

[shh_hannah]

"Glad to know he still feels that way. Yeah, family is often more apt to drop in on you than friends, even if they're coming from farther away." At the mention of Eleanor's brother, Hannah smiled. "Ernie says he's quite nice but your mum doesn't let him do much

[shh_ernie]

Ernie had drunk three glasses of water. Any more and he'd burst. The letter was sitting on the counter; he couldn't help but stare at it. His instinct was to burn it, but it wasn't his letter. And he didn't know that they had any matches. While he knew that he had to return to the living room at some point, he wasn't certain that he could sit there and make pleasant conversation. No, this needed to be dealt with first. Then they could all talk about something nicer. Like wedding plans

[shh_eleanor]

"No, she's a bit touchy about magic and such since the war." She was glad to see that she and Hannah were getting along, but she wasn't quite ready to tell her the reasons why her mother was touchy about magic yet.

She blushed when Hannah told her she hadn't seen Ernie that besotted with anyone before. "Well, thank you. I do try to make him happy." Even if she fell down now and then. Witness the disappearing to the kitchen for water. He sure had been gone for a long time. "I think he was getting a bit tired of it. And he is getting around much better now."

She was just about to commiserate with Hannah about those schoolgirl crushes that didn't quite seem to go away when Ernie came back. Oh hell. So much for hoping he'd wait to bring it up. "I know you wouldn't do that Ernie. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you beforehand. I should have." She was somewhat relieved to hear that was all she'd wanted, but still worried that he was angry she'd owled his mother, and then not mentioned she'd owled Hannah.

[shh_hannah]

Hannah just nodded at Eleanor's comment about her own mother. There was probably a longer story there, but they didn't honestly know each other that well yet. "You do make him happy," she assured the younger woman. "Um, I'm not sure if you'd be interested, but he suggested that the two of us should have lunch together sometime. I could help you with wedding planning stuff. If you want."

Ernie came back in, and unfortunately probably heard her admitting having had a crush on George back in school. Oh well. There were larger issues at work right now.

"Well, I need to answer it before I burn it, or she's likely to drop in for a visit." Hannah shuddered. Even though she knew she wanted to tell Ernie's mother no, she'd rather not do so face to face, at least not at first. She was relieved that this didn't seem to be a huge issue between the couple, and also that Ernie seemed less angry than he'd been before.