Fic: Laying Claim
Title: Laying Claim
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Romance
Characters: Hannah Abbott (Hufflepuff)/Michael Corner (Ravenclaw)
Word Count: 1875
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: 79 - Loyalty at 100_tales, 15 - Always a Bridesmaid at 15pairings, and 69 - Mulberry at 100_colours
Warning: A kiss, bridesmaid dress shopping horrors
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of, nor do I make any money from the Harry Potter franchise. I merely dabble in the shadows of the world of JK Rowling created.
"This dress is... it looks like I drank too much wine, puked all over a perfectly fine set of dress robes and decided to rearrange the fabric to hide the new colour." Hannah turned first one way and then the other. The mirror didn't lie. Every angle of the mulberry shaded fiasco was the same. She couldn't believe she'd told Megan she would be her bridesmaid. After this, she wasn't returning any of Megan's owls. "Tell me something good, Michael. I may burst into tears if I don't hear something positive about this experience."
Michael Corner, the only person she'd rather not have had along on this particular shopping trip to witness her in such an embarrassing outfit, laid down the month old copy of the Daily Prophet he'd been reading. "Something good? You know I don't lie well, Han. How about... you'll be able to drink as much as you want and it won't matter if you spill. That dress will hide anything you spill on it."
"Not funny."
"A little funny."
Hannah frowned at him in the mirror but he'd picked up the newspaper once again. "You're not helping. Why did I invited you along again?"
"I'll always tell you you're pretty, no matter what you're wearing."
That was the truth, even though he said it with the dry humour he was known to cut down both friends and foe with. No one took on Michael Corner in a game of words. He could twist any phrase to suit his uses. That was the main reason why Hannah hadn't thrown herself at him the first chance he'd given her, but it was also the reason she counted him as a friend. He never lied. If he told her she was pretty, she could believe him. It was just sometimes hard to discern the truth behind his elegant words.
With him safe once again behind his barricade of words and pictures, Hannah felt safe enough to stare at him. In the mirror, she could almost imagine that he was standing behind her, whispering his words into her ears as if he never wanted her to miss to a single syllable. It didn't matter what he said to her, only that he said it with the slow precision he gave so many of his statements, drawing out the sounds until his sentences were as tightly wound as her throbbing flesh. Merlin, she loved it when he made her hot just from the way he gave simple answers to mundane questions like What would you like in your tea? or What's your favorite colour. Or even Will you go to the dress shop with me today?
"Are you quite done daydreaming?"
She blinked, coming back to reality with a startled cry. The newspaper was folded neatly on the table and he was watching her with his usual smirk. Now was not the time to imagine those same lips finding their way along her jawline.
"Yes. I suppose I am." She sighed. There was nothing she could do to make the dress look any better. Megan owed her big for this. "Take me to lunch now?"
His shrug was pure elegance, a casual gesture that spoke volumes. "Isn't that why you brought me along? I know it's not because you wanted me to actually see the dress."
"It's horrible, isn't it?" Continuing the conversation from behind the dressing room curtain, Hannah struggled to get out of the dress as quickly as possible. She wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for lunch before she lost Michael to his social circle once again. "Can you believe Megan would actually think anyone would look good in this? It's like she fell in love and became completely blind. And she's not alone. This is the third wedding I've been asked to be a part of. Luckily, the other two women have better taste. But this is the absolute last time I let anyone talk me into wearing something I hate out of friendship. Besides, I'm tired of weddings. I'm always the bridesmaid. That doesn't always feel like a compliment."
At last, she was back in her own comfortable clothing, pushing her way back to the waiting area where he was waiting. Only... he wasn't waiting. The chair he'd been reclining in was empty. There was no one here with her but a waiting shopgirl.
"Are there any alterations you'd like us to make?"
While she wanted to throw the dress at the poor girl and berate her severely for even thinking it was fashionable, Hannah knew that wouldn't solve anything in her current situation. "It's perfect. Leave it exactly like it is. Now the gentleman that was with me... did you see him leave?" A giggle drifted in from the front room. "Never mind. I'll find him myself."
The scene that met her eye was pure Michael. Three women, only one of them an employee of the store, hovered at each side of her friend. He was laughing at something one of them had said, or perhaps he was laughing at something he'd said. It was hard to be jealous even though she wanted to be. Women liked Michael.
There had always been talk about whether Micheal liked women back. During all the years they were in school together, he'd never had a girlfriend although he'd had plenty of opportunity. Most of his friends were girls, but never any of the ones who simpered and primped as he came near. No, he liked girls that could carry their own in a conversation or had something insightful to say from time to time. Hannah was, by far, the prettiest of the group that he named as friend. While she wasn't as bright as some of his other Ravenclaws, she'd never backed down from him, even when she didn't quite understand what he was saying. It intrigued him and she'd been a fixture by his side since their third year at school.
And she was the only one he chose to spend time with in such a casual manner. That counted for something even if she wasn't sure what as of yet. She hoped it meant he liked her, and not just as an occasional companion on excursions out and about.
One of the women glanced at her, giving her outfit a swift appraisal before baring her teeth in a mocking smile. He's not in your league. Go away, the look told her. She was getting tired of this competition. Time to put an end to it once and for all. Narrowing her eyes in response, Hannah did something she'd never dared before. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Darling, I'm ready for that lunch you promised." There was a single direct line to him that wasn't barred by admirers. She took it, ending up standing between his slightly outstretched legs, a haven of protection from the glares now directed at her. To further cement her claim, she reached out a hand to brush his cheek. His hot chocolate eyes held her gaze, not giving any of his thoughts away. But she wanted a response. For once, she wanted him to pick her in a clear and precise manner. She wanted him to lay claim to her.
Because she didn't have the words to explain it, she used her actions to show him what she wanted. The kiss was meant to be quick but it deepened almost as soon as her lips touched his. His hands slipped through her hair, keeping her in place while he began his own onslaught. It was exactly what she'd been dreaming about all these years. She framed his face with her hands, reveling in the scrape of his stubble against her palms.
He pulled away first but only far enough away that he could see her face as he asked, "You mentioned lunch?"
"I don't want lunch anymore."
His chuckle filled her senses, washing away all the years of wondering and hoping and yearning. It wasn't sarcastic or mocking. The sound he made was full of the same apprehensions she was feelings. "Suddenly you aren't hungry? And here I thought shopping always brought out the beast in you."
She nipped at the corner of his lips. "Not the way you do. I'm afraid if I let go of you, this will become a dream. I'm tired of just dreaming about you, Michael Corner."
"And here I thought I was the only one who never wanted to wake up."
One of the ladies giggled again, breaking the spell. Hannah backed away but not without taking one of his hands in hers. Even after that show, th women still crowded around him, as if they might have a chance to try their luck. She pulled him away from the counter, tugging at him until he was standing beside her.
"I'll be back for the dress in a week." She singled out the shopgirl who had helped her, reminding herself silently to tip the girl well for her service... and for not being in the group of women flirting with her Michael. To the other ladies, she just smiled triumphantly, adding a bit of a smirk to the women who had thought to exclude her.
"Lunch," Michael reminded her, squeezing her hand. She hoped it was a euphemism for something else entirely.
~~~~
The bride was resplendent in white while the groom looked dashing in his formal robes. Everyone talked about what a perfect couple they were and how lovely the ceremony had been. The bridesmaids, all of them beautiful in their own way, wore horrible dresses that did nothing to accentuate the fact, but no one commented on them. There was a slight scandal when one of them couldn't be found for the family pictures later in the afternoon but the other bridesmaids just smiled at each other.
"Just go on without her," Susan Bones urged, tugging at the collar of her own dress. "I don't think she's going to turn back up. She said something about... lunch." The rest of the attendants laughed in that way only girls with a shared secret can.
"At least she got some use out of this dress," Eleanor whispered the girl next to her as she rolled her eyes. "I wish I had a guy who still wanted to.... take me to lunch even in this thing. Let's just hope she picks a better colour for her bridesmaids."
Susan shook her head slightly, talking out of the side of her mouth as she attempted to smile. "Didn't you hear? She won't have to be a bridesmaid again. Isn't really one now."
"What?" they responded in near unison. All the girls turned to look at Susan to the consternation of the photographer.
"Last week. They had a quick ceremony. Nothing big. Just the two of them and some family."
"Can I have the bridesmaids look here, please? That's good. Alright, everyone. Big smiles. That's right." But the rest of the pictures all showed a group of women in shock. They'd lost one of their own without realizing it. Always a bridesmaid... always wearing the horrid dress... but if Hannah could catch the guy she'd spent years pining for, perhaps there was hope for the rest of them.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Romance
Characters: Hannah Abbott (Hufflepuff)/Michael Corner (Ravenclaw)
Word Count: 1875
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: 79 - Loyalty at 100_tales, 15 - Always a Bridesmaid at 15pairings, and 69 - Mulberry at 100_colours
Warning: A kiss, bridesmaid dress shopping horrors
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of, nor do I make any money from the Harry Potter franchise. I merely dabble in the shadows of the world of JK Rowling created.
"This dress is... it looks like I drank too much wine, puked all over a perfectly fine set of dress robes and decided to rearrange the fabric to hide the new colour." Hannah turned first one way and then the other. The mirror didn't lie. Every angle of the mulberry shaded fiasco was the same. She couldn't believe she'd told Megan she would be her bridesmaid. After this, she wasn't returning any of Megan's owls. "Tell me something good, Michael. I may burst into tears if I don't hear something positive about this experience."
Michael Corner, the only person she'd rather not have had along on this particular shopping trip to witness her in such an embarrassing outfit, laid down the month old copy of the Daily Prophet he'd been reading. "Something good? You know I don't lie well, Han. How about... you'll be able to drink as much as you want and it won't matter if you spill. That dress will hide anything you spill on it."
"Not funny."
"A little funny."
Hannah frowned at him in the mirror but he'd picked up the newspaper once again. "You're not helping. Why did I invited you along again?"
"I'll always tell you you're pretty, no matter what you're wearing."
That was the truth, even though he said it with the dry humour he was known to cut down both friends and foe with. No one took on Michael Corner in a game of words. He could twist any phrase to suit his uses. That was the main reason why Hannah hadn't thrown herself at him the first chance he'd given her, but it was also the reason she counted him as a friend. He never lied. If he told her she was pretty, she could believe him. It was just sometimes hard to discern the truth behind his elegant words.
With him safe once again behind his barricade of words and pictures, Hannah felt safe enough to stare at him. In the mirror, she could almost imagine that he was standing behind her, whispering his words into her ears as if he never wanted her to miss to a single syllable. It didn't matter what he said to her, only that he said it with the slow precision he gave so many of his statements, drawing out the sounds until his sentences were as tightly wound as her throbbing flesh. Merlin, she loved it when he made her hot just from the way he gave simple answers to mundane questions like What would you like in your tea? or What's your favorite colour. Or even Will you go to the dress shop with me today?
"Are you quite done daydreaming?"
She blinked, coming back to reality with a startled cry. The newspaper was folded neatly on the table and he was watching her with his usual smirk. Now was not the time to imagine those same lips finding their way along her jawline.
"Yes. I suppose I am." She sighed. There was nothing she could do to make the dress look any better. Megan owed her big for this. "Take me to lunch now?"
His shrug was pure elegance, a casual gesture that spoke volumes. "Isn't that why you brought me along? I know it's not because you wanted me to actually see the dress."
"It's horrible, isn't it?" Continuing the conversation from behind the dressing room curtain, Hannah struggled to get out of the dress as quickly as possible. She wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for lunch before she lost Michael to his social circle once again. "Can you believe Megan would actually think anyone would look good in this? It's like she fell in love and became completely blind. And she's not alone. This is the third wedding I've been asked to be a part of. Luckily, the other two women have better taste. But this is the absolute last time I let anyone talk me into wearing something I hate out of friendship. Besides, I'm tired of weddings. I'm always the bridesmaid. That doesn't always feel like a compliment."
At last, she was back in her own comfortable clothing, pushing her way back to the waiting area where he was waiting. Only... he wasn't waiting. The chair he'd been reclining in was empty. There was no one here with her but a waiting shopgirl.
"Are there any alterations you'd like us to make?"
While she wanted to throw the dress at the poor girl and berate her severely for even thinking it was fashionable, Hannah knew that wouldn't solve anything in her current situation. "It's perfect. Leave it exactly like it is. Now the gentleman that was with me... did you see him leave?" A giggle drifted in from the front room. "Never mind. I'll find him myself."
The scene that met her eye was pure Michael. Three women, only one of them an employee of the store, hovered at each side of her friend. He was laughing at something one of them had said, or perhaps he was laughing at something he'd said. It was hard to be jealous even though she wanted to be. Women liked Michael.
There had always been talk about whether Micheal liked women back. During all the years they were in school together, he'd never had a girlfriend although he'd had plenty of opportunity. Most of his friends were girls, but never any of the ones who simpered and primped as he came near. No, he liked girls that could carry their own in a conversation or had something insightful to say from time to time. Hannah was, by far, the prettiest of the group that he named as friend. While she wasn't as bright as some of his other Ravenclaws, she'd never backed down from him, even when she didn't quite understand what he was saying. It intrigued him and she'd been a fixture by his side since their third year at school.
And she was the only one he chose to spend time with in such a casual manner. That counted for something even if she wasn't sure what as of yet. She hoped it meant he liked her, and not just as an occasional companion on excursions out and about.
One of the women glanced at her, giving her outfit a swift appraisal before baring her teeth in a mocking smile. He's not in your league. Go away, the look told her. She was getting tired of this competition. Time to put an end to it once and for all. Narrowing her eyes in response, Hannah did something she'd never dared before. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Darling, I'm ready for that lunch you promised." There was a single direct line to him that wasn't barred by admirers. She took it, ending up standing between his slightly outstretched legs, a haven of protection from the glares now directed at her. To further cement her claim, she reached out a hand to brush his cheek. His hot chocolate eyes held her gaze, not giving any of his thoughts away. But she wanted a response. For once, she wanted him to pick her in a clear and precise manner. She wanted him to lay claim to her.
Because she didn't have the words to explain it, she used her actions to show him what she wanted. The kiss was meant to be quick but it deepened almost as soon as her lips touched his. His hands slipped through her hair, keeping her in place while he began his own onslaught. It was exactly what she'd been dreaming about all these years. She framed his face with her hands, reveling in the scrape of his stubble against her palms.
He pulled away first but only far enough away that he could see her face as he asked, "You mentioned lunch?"
"I don't want lunch anymore."
His chuckle filled her senses, washing away all the years of wondering and hoping and yearning. It wasn't sarcastic or mocking. The sound he made was full of the same apprehensions she was feelings. "Suddenly you aren't hungry? And here I thought shopping always brought out the beast in you."
She nipped at the corner of his lips. "Not the way you do. I'm afraid if I let go of you, this will become a dream. I'm tired of just dreaming about you, Michael Corner."
"And here I thought I was the only one who never wanted to wake up."
One of the ladies giggled again, breaking the spell. Hannah backed away but not without taking one of his hands in hers. Even after that show, th women still crowded around him, as if they might have a chance to try their luck. She pulled him away from the counter, tugging at him until he was standing beside her.
"I'll be back for the dress in a week." She singled out the shopgirl who had helped her, reminding herself silently to tip the girl well for her service... and for not being in the group of women flirting with her Michael. To the other ladies, she just smiled triumphantly, adding a bit of a smirk to the women who had thought to exclude her.
"Lunch," Michael reminded her, squeezing her hand. She hoped it was a euphemism for something else entirely.
~~~~
The bride was resplendent in white while the groom looked dashing in his formal robes. Everyone talked about what a perfect couple they were and how lovely the ceremony had been. The bridesmaids, all of them beautiful in their own way, wore horrible dresses that did nothing to accentuate the fact, but no one commented on them. There was a slight scandal when one of them couldn't be found for the family pictures later in the afternoon but the other bridesmaids just smiled at each other.
"Just go on without her," Susan Bones urged, tugging at the collar of her own dress. "I don't think she's going to turn back up. She said something about... lunch." The rest of the attendants laughed in that way only girls with a shared secret can.
"At least she got some use out of this dress," Eleanor whispered the girl next to her as she rolled her eyes. "I wish I had a guy who still wanted to.... take me to lunch even in this thing. Let's just hope she picks a better colour for her bridesmaids."
Susan shook her head slightly, talking out of the side of her mouth as she attempted to smile. "Didn't you hear? She won't have to be a bridesmaid again. Isn't really one now."
"What?" they responded in near unison. All the girls turned to look at Susan to the consternation of the photographer.
"Last week. They had a quick ceremony. Nothing big. Just the two of them and some family."
"Can I have the bridesmaids look here, please? That's good. Alright, everyone. Big smiles. That's right." But the rest of the pictures all showed a group of women in shock. They'd lost one of their own without realizing it. Always a bridesmaid... always wearing the horrid dress... but if Hannah could catch the guy she'd spent years pining for, perhaps there was hope for the rest of them.