Happy Birthday to Me... (backdated OPEN THREAD)

[a_weasley_apart]

Date: BACKDATED August 22, 2001
Time: 9:00 PM
Location: The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade
Character(s) Involved: Percy Weasley and WIDE OPEN
Rating: Guess that depends on who shows up!

Comments

[eviemoonchild]

It had been a longer evening than Evie expected when she ran out to Hogsmeade on the request of a long-standing customer who needed her dress sooner than expected, to do some rushed fittings that actually hadn't been nearly as rushed as she would have liked them to be. Designing cross-generational eveningwear, she'd found, had its ups and downs; older customers were much more likely to order custom-made clothing, which meant more money for her--but also far more demanding on her time. She'd only managed to get out a little before nine, and was hot and starving and lugging a heavy dress that would go right back to her flat to finish, tonight--when she'd have any other time to do it, Evie couldn't guess.

She made her way back to the Three Broomsticks, intending to get home by Floo, but the smell of some kind of food--roasted potatoes, perhaps--caught her attention and her belly gave an embarrassing grumble. A tavern seemed like such a coarse place to have dinner, but it was very late and she was quite hungry, so perhaps the dress could

[a_weasley_apart]

He may not have drunk enough to take the edge off his thoughts, yet, but Percy had clearly had enough to take the edge of his alertness. When the weighty bag hit the bar next to him, he flinched in surprise, whiskey slopping over the edge of his glass onto his fingers. Making a face, he set the glass down and picked up a napkin to wipe up the spill fastidiously, glancing at the offender as he did so. She was vaguely familiar, as many people of around that age were vaguely familiar from his Hogwarts years, but he couldn't put a name to her.

"Please join me," he offered solemnly, without a trace of irony; the invitation itself was irony enough when she'd already taken the seat.

[eviemoonchild]

"Merci," Evie answered the invitation automatically, surprised that the redheaded man had spoken to her. She was not French, but she was learning it to better communicate with French clientele, and approached the language with a child's delight at discovering new things, sprinkling every day speech with French words and phrases with abandon. She wondered what had made the man invite her to join him--she'd thought he'd had the air of someone who wanted to drink alone in peace, though perhaps her impulsive choice in a seat so close to him, when dozens of others were available, had made him feel obligated to speak to her. Both curious and a bit guilty, Evie shifted Mrs. Bradley's dress to her other side and scooted down one seat to properly sit beside him.

"Evie Moon," she introduced herself promptly.

[a_weasley_apart]

Percy himself wasn't entirely sure what had prompted him to issue the invitation. Perhaps the chivalry his mother had drilled into him since childhood. Perhaps it was that he did wish for some company on what was, after all, supposed to be a special occasion.

"Enchanté, Mademoiselle Moon," he replied, taking his cue from her. His French wasn't anything spectacular, either, but one didn't rise in International Magical Cooperation without at least a basic grasp of the languages of England's most prominent neighbors. Mr Crouch had done a great deal to inspire Percy's interest in languages, as well. However, he didn't think this girl was a non-English speaker, as her name had been the clue he needed to remember her. "Evelyn, n'est pas? You attended Hogwarts." Pulling himself together, he straightened up and offered a hand. "Percy Weasley."