(Untitled)

[shh_ginny]

Date: 7 September 2005
Character(s): Ginny Weasley, Arabella Figg, Anyone
Location: Five Alarm
Status: Public
Summary: Having a bite and a pint.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_arabella]

Arabella was just plain tired. She'd spent the morning doing some early-fall planting in her garden, then volunteered at the animal shelter during the afternoon because one of the regular dog walkers was sick. By late afternoon she was feeling the need for a nap, so she'd gone home and slept for an hour or so. When she woke up, she decided she didn't feel like cooking; she'd been eating at home too much lately, and she simply needed to get out. After telling her cats goodbye, she grabbed her string back and Floo'd to the Five Alarm. If she was lucky, she would see Molly Weasley and have a gab with her; if not, at least someone else would do the cooking tonight.

Stumbling out of the pub's fireplace, she caught sight of long, dark-red hair. As she made her way over, she realised her mistake. It wasn't Molly, it was her lovely daughter.

"Hello, Miss Weasley -- Ginny, isn't it? Are you expecting someone?" The young woman was already eating and, apparently attempting to translate a rather large book written in French.

[shh_ginny]

The bustle of the pub provided comforting background noise and Ginny was grateful for it as she jotted another cross-reference. 'Press firmly from right to left with rounded end of a maple wood spoon. Who the bloody hell thinks of trying these things? Let's see, victim will present with multiple symptoms that could not be readily identified. Right nasty potion, this one. Counter measures include tears of a...'

Someone was speaking and Ginny blinked, looking up in suprise before scrambling to her feet, setting the book down on the table as she rose, giving her sweater a self-conscious tug. "Mrs. Figg! Please, call me Ginny. I feel like me Mum when people call me Miss Weasley." She blushed, looking sheepish. "No. Not at all. You're welcome to join me. I was just doing some research."

[shh_arabella]

"All right, I shall. Thank you, Ginny," Arabella said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Catching a waiter's eye quickly, she ordered a bowl of the pub's famous stew and a butterbeer. "Your dedication is commendable. Doing research while eating lunch, and in a foreign language to boot. You must be extremely busy if you don't have time to relax over a meal. Other than being overworked, how have you been? I've not seen your mother in ages. Is she still working here?"

[shh_ginny]

"A foreign..." she blinked in confusion, glancing down at the cover of the book before chuckling. "Oh, that. Sorry. My mentor charmed it to translate so I forgot it was written in French. I'm afraid I'm not quite that smart, Mrs. Figg."

Settling back into the booth, Ginny smiled as she answered. "Oh, this is just one of those odd busy times. We've got staff out of the country helping the Americans and I volunteered to cover some shifts. It'll settle down again soon but I don't want to fall behind on my apprenticeship."

"Mum's good. She's in and out of here a bit. I think she was doing some tourist travel but she should be about if you want to owl her." Ginny took a drink of her butterbeer. "I know she'd like that. How have you been, Mrs. Figg?"