The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Chips and a Chat

Marlene was just leaving Madam Malkins when an owl fluttered down and landed on the rack of dress robes she was pushing into the shop. It was a tawny Ministry owl, and about it's leg was a small roll of parchment. She drew the parchment off his leg and before she could think of payment for the delivery, the owl was gone.

She unrolled the parchment, and across it was written, in a messy scrawl:

Going for chips at the pub tonight, round about 7. Sean Buckner.

Marlene laughed, pulling the rack into the shop.

Sean Buckner sat at the usual table in the downstairs of the pub, nervously tugging at his sweater vest. Upstairs, a live band was playing music that throbbed in the walls, even downstairs, and the thumping of the feet of dancers shook the rafters over his head. He glanced up at it. The waitress came 'round and slid a stein of beer onto the table in front of him and he thanked her and put in his order for chips. It was a bit after 7:20 and not a sign of Marlene McKinnon, so he decided he might as well order his chips and be on with it. He could floo to the pub in the village, but he still had a bit of a walk from the nearest connected hearth to the house where he lived back home in Donegal. 

There was a laugh then, and he turned, looking over his shoulder.

Annalee stood there, wearing a pair of jeans and an oversized jumper that hung closer in shape to a dress than the snug way Sean's jumper fit him. Annalee's hair was down, slung over her shoulder and still a bit damp and holding its natural curl from the washing, her fancy purple glasses traded out for more sensible, plain silver ones. She wore simple flats, and was at least an inch shorter than usual, her posture not as strict... 

She was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her before.

Annalee's cheeks flushed, and the color they turned without her make up to hide some of the pinkness that came into them was completely delightful. "I should've known Marlene was up to something."

"Up to something?" Sean had slid out of his seat. He paused, hands hovering at the chair back. "How do you feel about chivalry?"

"It's sexy," she answered.

"Sexy, not sexist," Sean nodded, and pulled the chair out for her, his eyes crinkling with pleasure.

Annalee laughed, "How many times have you seen Marlene? Just the once? And she's got you asking questions like that already?"

Sean shrugged, "I try harder at remembering things of that sort about a person the first time they tell me. So I can respect'em properly the next time I see them."

Annalee smiled, "That's really nice." She paused as he sat back down. "If I'd known I was being set up for a date, I would've showed you better respect and shown up more properly dressed. Or at least fully dried off from my shower."

Sean's eyes twinkled. "I think you're beautiful as ya are."

"Which is why you asked my sister out again just hours after I've asked you out?"

"I needed to ask her tips how I was to go about impressing you is all," Sean explained.

"Never thought to ask the source?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'd rather have asked her and surprised ya with my keen instinctive manners. But here I am, the eejit that's got to ask you if you like your chair pulled out for you as I'm in the motion of it."

Annalee laughed.

"Well as long as you get a good chuckle off my pain, that's what matters, I suppose."