RP: Random Encounter

[rar_theodore]

Date: Wednesday, 7 August 1999
Characters: Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis
Location: Muggle London
Status: Private
Summary: Theodore and Tracey run into each other and have a chat.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[rar_tracey]

It really was never to early to shop for your mum's birthday. A good gift for a mother meant sending the right message. The wrong gift could send the sort of message that left your mum feeling awful about turning another year older. The wrong gift could tell her "You're official a dowdy old lady, so here, have some socks and a box of tea." The wrong gift could tell her, "You don't spend nearly enough time in the kitchen, so have this snazzy new pan and cook something for us while you're at it

[rar_theodore]

Theo offered her another slight smile. So far so good, progress was being made in his vague plan to become marginally less of a recluse. They were talking. Talking was a good start.

"I'm well, thank you." He managed to keep his hands still, not even toying with his cuffs or something, which was a small victory on its own. "What an unexpected pleasure to run into you - I hadn't thought I'd see anyone I know."

He brushed his fringe back off his face and decided to stick to safe small talk subjects. Maybe he really did need to get out more often. "What have you been up to since school ended? Anything terribly exciting?"

[rar_tracey]

Tracey tried to make her smile convincing, but she wasn't quite sure what to make of him. They'd hardly ever spoken in school, and his father...well, she just wasn't sure about him.

"Nothing, I'm afraid. I'm leading an awfully boring life," she joked casually, realizing it wasn't much of a joke, really. "What about you? I don't think I've heard anything too scandalous through the house grapevine, so I suppose you're staying out of trouble?"

[rar_theodore]

"There's something to be said for boring." He shrugged one shoulder. He could tell that she was at least a little leery of him, and he couldn't really blame her. He tossed the observation onto his mental desk anyway, to be sorted later.

"As for me, staying out of trouble is generally what I do. I spent most of my time at school holed up in the library for a reason, you know." The small smile came back. "Which is why I'm working towards a career with the Department of Mysteries - quiet but interesting."

[rar_tracey]

Tracey caught his eye and grinned back over the pot of tea she was pouring from. He certainly seemed nice enough. Not as moody as he had in school. "I haven't spoken to Greg since school either. Odd how you lose touch with people." Not that they had been all that close to begin with, but they had all lived together.

"I'm in Hogsmeade now. I work at this new pub there," she said as she helped herself to a scone. "It's nice, stone's throw from the house I'm renting. With Millie actually. And this Ravenclaw bloke."

She took a sip of her tea. "Oh I do like that," she said, glad he hadn't ordered them something off. "Do you live with flatmates?"

[rar_theodore]

Oh, good, she liked the tea. That won her some points with the mental concepts - Theo knew good tea.

"Working in a pub has always seemed interesting," he said thoughtfully. "I am probably the least suited person in the western hemisphere, if not the world, for it, but I can see why someone would like it." He broke off a small piece of scone and toyed with it for a moment before popping it in his mouth.

"At the moment, I really still live out in the country with my Aunt Elmira, but I am endeavoring to just move to London completely. So, at the moment, no flatmates." He turned his cup in his hands. "It's been awhile since I've been out to Hogsmeade. I should go."

[rar_tracey]

"It definitely required developing certain social graces, like the patience not to throw punches when drunks get fresh," she admitted, smirking a little. "But overall it's not bad. I don't know how well I'd do with office work."

She sipped at her tea and listened politely, wishing they could speak openly, only for curiosity's sake. Theo was an interesting case.

"Where in London were you thinking of settling in?"

[rar_theodore]

"I can imagine," Theo said dryly. "I suppose one would learn fairly quickly how to take care of oneself. And others, in a manner of speaking." He smiled slightly.

He turned the cop in his hands again, thoughtfully. "Housing is... interesting. In all likelihood, Diagon Alley is going to be it. Once I've worked for the Ministry a bit, I may try to move. Who knows?" He smiled at her again. "Odd as it might sound, I'm not really set on anything. It's the beauty of living in a post-war world - there's a lot of possibility."