A little tete-a-tete, followed by erranding

[sightlesswolf]

Date: Thursday, November 23, 2000
Time: Noon
Location: The Leaky Cauldron, then Alecto's Animal Emporium
Characters Involved: Nymphadora Tonks & June Connors, Parvati Patil, Aurin and/or Toviel Helm, OPEN at both locations
Rated: PG, in case there's still some annoyance about the whole collar thing

Comments

[thinktanktonks]

Tonks was sitting in the far corner of the Leaky at a table which, on it's three shabby looking legs, wasn't the sturdiest of things but was situated only a few foot away from one of the pubs many roaring fires. It was a cosy corner and she had arrived earlier than she was expecting June, only to take one of the rare moments she had to herself to catch up on her reading.

Apart from having read the headlines from the Prophet the past couple of days and the one artice of Luna's from Witch Weekly after having had it pointed out by a collegue at the Ministry, she hadn't read a thing besides her journal and that thing was growing more frustrating to read as the days went by

[safinnigan]

It was a Gryffindor ballet. Seamus saw the green glow of the Floo and leaned far over the bar to see who was coming into The Leaky Cauldron. As soon as he saw it was June his eyes lept towards Tonks, who was over in one corner with her Prophet and a Butterbeer. He watched as the world seemed to begin flowing in slow motion. Tonks rising to meet June, June moving out of the Floo, Tonks’ Butterbeer a sad victim of his friend’s clumsiness sudden movements. His own actions were equally predictable, reaching underneath the bar for a stack of fresh bar towels, grabbing a replacement Butterbeer for the lass and sprinting off towards the table at the same time as Tonks was headed off towards June

[sightlesswolf]

Oh, thank goodness. June permitted herself a relieved smile when she heard Tonks call her; she'd perfectly well been able to hear the growing whispers of the other patrons, and she'd started to wonder if she shouldn't have checked her journal before leaving - what if Tonks hadn't been able to make it after all? But her friend was here, and at her side, her cheery voice a warning a moment before the hand touched her elbow

[safinnigan]

“Aye, lass, be back ‘afore you’re settled in then, luv,” Seamus said as he headed back to the bar to get June her pumpkin juice and another Prophet that was abandoned on the bar for Tonks. He returned directly with a couple of dishes of pretzels and bar nuts, as well as a menu in case the ladies wanted some lunch. He didn’t have a lot of time since it was during the lunch rush, but he hoped to have a word or two with the ladies before going back to the bar.

“Aye then, June lass, here’s your pumpkin juice.” He set it just to the right of her right hand, barely grazing her hand with the glaze so she would know where it was.

“You’ve got a class then, lass? ‘Tis a shame I’ve not seen ye at Hogwarts then, luv, been spending my mornings there ‘round ‘bouts the library.” He didn’t often run into anyone he knew at Hogwarts. They were probably all in classes when he was there, so he was not surprised by it. “What’re you teaching then, luv?”

1:00 PM - Alecto's Animal Emporium

[sightlesswolf]

After saying good-bye to Tonks in the street in front of the Emporium, June made her way cautiously to the door. She still remembered the intelligent and majestic harpy eagle that played guardian of the gate, but she doubted the bird would remember her after so long, and she didn't want to alarm it with sudden movements. They were well away from the full moon at this point, so hopefully the other animals wouldn't overreact to her presence; she was trusting that they wouldn't.

Pushing open the door, she took a single step inside and let the portal close behind her. Clasping her hands loosely behind her, she called in a low voice, "Good afternoon?"

Re: 1:00 PM - Alecto's Animal Emporium

[flowerpatil]

Parvati had been working with some particularly large rats near the front of the shop when she heard the door open and close, and a soft tentative voice call out a greeting. Wiping her hands, she stepped out from behind the cages.

"Hello! Good afternoon!" Parvati spotted a fair-haired woman who had bandages around the eyes. Oh. She rushed forward, making sure to let the woman know she was actually in front of her.

"Welcome to Alecto's! My name's Parvati. How can I help you?"

Re: 1:00 PM - Alecto's Animal Emporium

[sightlesswolf]

"Parvati... Patil?" June guessed, with a smile for the friendly-sounding girl. She held out her hand. "June Connors; I think remember you from Gryffindor." At least, she remembered a pair of chattering first years, remembered thinking that those girls reminded her of Caroline - that even at eleven and twelve, they were the sort of girls who instinctively understood 'girl things' like clothing and poise and gossip in a way she probably never would. She remembered writing Carrie that her 'real little sisters' had turned up, and the way her cousin had laughed.

"I'm looking for a Puffskein," she explained to Parvati, "and whatever sort of things it needs, food and the like. It's to be a gift. Do you carry those here? I understand this place is more exotic animals mainly, but I thought it'd be worth a check."

Re: 1:00 PM - Alecto's Animal Emporium

[golden_armor]

Aurin was in the back of the shop tending to the black boa when he heard the door open. Rubbing a last bit of oil into the scales on the back of its neck (the boa'd been getting flaky skin a lot with the dry winter weather), he rubbed his hands clean on a towel and headed for the front of the shop.

Romero was in his usual place in the front window, from where he'd been watching the rats hopefully, waiting for one to try to escape so he could chase it. He remembered June as a friendly presence, and shuffled closer to her on his perch, burbling a greeting.