Date night; Irish Muggle pub [HA, EM] WHO: Hannah, Ernie WHERE: a Muggle pub in Ireland WHEN: Friday, 10 December, 1999 SUMMARY: Date night! PARTIAL LOG/IN-PROGRESS THREAD. RATING: PG-13?
Bundled up in a knee length pink suede jacket with white fur trim and toggle clasps that matched the boots of the same materials she wore below it, Hannah lifted a gloved hand and knocked on Ernie's door. She had only told him to dress Muggle, but nothing else about where they were going or what they were doing tonight. The place she had chosen was Muggle, one she had frequented during her years at university for after-class relaxation, weekend fun and sometimes, even a place to get away to when the world became too much, for it was as far from magical as it could be with its historic charm, with no reminders of her family, either gone forever or, at that time, mostly gone.
Ernie went quickly to answer the door, looking quite excited to her. Unsure of what exactly she meant by Muggle clothing, or where they might be going, he dressed in a somewhat dressy black sweater and blue jeans. Opening the door, he grinned at her, taking in the jacket and boots, as his grin grew somehow wider. "You look gorgeous." he said, his voice soft and low. "Is this my surprise?"
Laughing brightly, even as her cheeks pinkened from the compliment rather than the cold, Hannah shook her head. “No, silly, my clothes aren't your surprise,” she said, slipping into his flat. “where I'm taking you is the surprise. Are you ready?” She looked him over, an appreciative light glowing in her eyes. “You look wonderful yourself. Muggle clothes suit you.”
Ernie preened under her compliments. He rather liked it when blonde girls who were gorgeous complimented him, particularly when those girls were Hannah. He stood, going to hug her tightly. "Yes, I'm ready." He lifted her lightly, taking one step toward the door playfully as though he were going to carry her out, then he gently set her back on the ground. "So let's go wherever you're leading me."
Wrapping her arms around his neck as he hugged her, Hannah let out a peal of laughter as he picked her up, boots swinging for the few moments she was airborne. She waited for him to pull on a jacket and then slid her gloved hand into his, tugging him out the door.
“We're going to Apparate close to their, but then we'll have to walk,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist before counting down from three and then Disapparating with him. Where they landed was an alley, not very dark but small and definitely off the path of the normal traffic of vehicles and people. Taking his hand once more, she led him down a series of cross streets and alleys until finally, they were standing outside the pub.
Ernie watched where they were going intently. a small, concerned look on his face. Maybe it wasn't the fairest thing in the world (and likely it wasn't) but he was a bit uncomfortable with her in the Mugle world, unsure of what he could do to defend her if push came to shove when he couldn't pull his wand. He would, consequences be damned, if she needed it, but for now he had to focus on blending in.
When they arrived outside of the pub he looked at her curiously, clearly seeing the pub but just as clearly not understanding the significance of it. "Is this the place?" he asked quietly, casting one more anxious look around.
Hannah noted his anxiousness, but mistook it for confusion as to his surroundings. She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. “When I was in university, this is where I came a lot – with classmates or by myself, after classes or for nights out. It's... it's very Muggle, obviously, and sometimes that was the appeal of being here, because it couldn't remind me of all I'd lost.” She squeezed his hand, even as she slid her free arm around his waist. “And now I've gotten so much back, gotten more than I ever had before, and since this was a happy place for me too, I wanted to come here for fun, rather than escape, and I thought maybe you'd like to see it, since you missed that time with me and I saw Greece with you.”
A warm smile came to Ernie's face at the thought of all that had happened since the war, since since she had been back in his life once more, all that they had gained. He didn't like to think of Hannah being lonely or unhappy in the past, so he avoided it entirely, tightening his grip on her hand. "Thank you for wanting to share this with me." Ernie told her quietly. "I"m sure that it is lovely."
Smiling brilliantly, Hannah led him inside and looked around. “Let's get rid of our coats,” she said and gestured to a line of hooks on the wall at the back, where the billiards table, jukebox and other entertainments were. She moved to one and shrugged out of her coat, hooking her small purse over her arm. Beneath the coat, she wore a simple white blouse, the collar unbuttoned to show a peek of milky skin across her chest but nothing overt. It was tucked neatly into a miniskirt the same pink, and the same suede, as the jacket and boots, the hem brushing below mid-thigh when standing straight. While also not overt, it did fit Hannah quite well, following the curves of her hips and backside precisely.
Ernie helped her out of her coat, but froze in the middle of removing his own when he saw what she was wearing underneath. There was nothing tartish about the ensemble, or anything like that, but it was the sort of thing that highlighted just how gorgeous she really was, and it made him that much prouder to be seen with her. Finally he managed to stop gaping at her and to remove his own jacket, hanging it next to hers. He wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "You look gorgeous tonight, Hannah."
Despite her innocence in the years leading up to this, becoming closer to Ernie since they had been officially dating, and especially since they had vocalized their feelings, had taught Hannah a lot about desirability. It would be a lie to say she had not chosen the outfit tonight without any thought for what he would think, as the truth was she hoped he might like it and like it a lot. Pleased she had been right, she snuggled up to him as he whispered to her, a smile coming across her face that was not as bashful for it held a touch of womanly satisfaction.
“Thank you,” she murmured, lifting her head to kiss him, quick but happily, and then nodded toward the back. “Do you want to go back a play with the jukebox or play a game of pool? Or are you hungry now?”
Ernie smiled. "I think I'll go put a few songs onto the jukebox and then we can play a bit of pool." He would take it easy on her, he decided, perhaps they would take turns winning and have an enjoyable night. He wasn't even sure if Hannah HAD played pool before, but certainly he wasn't intimidated by the pretty girl in the short pink skirt. He smiled, putting on a somewhat romantic song with a decent beat, before turning back to her. "Now, are you ready for this game of pool?
Swaying slightly to the song, Hannah smiled. “It's been awhile since I've even played,” she said, turning to gaze at him with utmost innocence, though deep in her eyes, a spark of mischief glimmered for a moment, then was gone. “But I think I'm ready.”
Crossing to the corner to select a cue, her fingers wandered across several before smiling to herself. Her favorite was still here, the tiny lettering in the handle that was her initials still clear. Picking it up, she turned back to him.
“Since I invited you, I'll give you the break,” she said generously.
Ernie laughed softly, taking her generous offer for a sort of teasing joke. Oh, he didn't think that she would be awful, just that she wouldn't have quite as much experience at this as he did. Picking up a cue at random, he faced her, an almost challenging look on his face. "Bring it, Abbott." he said, winking at her. "I can take all that you've got and then some.”
Giggling, Hannah walked up to him, her body nearly brushing his. “Big talk, Ernest,” she said, eyes dancing now with open merriment. She looked to the table and then back up at him. “If you're so sure, maybe we can make a bet?” She treated him to the same innocent look and shrugged one shoulder, pressing slightly closer. “Not money, or anything, of course. Just a fun wager.”
Ernie raised an eyebrow, resting one hip against the pool table as he beamed at her. "Anything you want, princess." he said, his voice more than a little teasing. "I'm all about wagers, particularly the fun sort." he shook his head, trying to clear the image of kissing a bit of the small amount of skin revealed by her white top. Definitely NOT what he should be thinking about if he intended to focus on this game...which he did!
Resisting the urge to laugh again at the stolen endearment, as she could just hear her father's teeth grinding over it, Hannah reached out, fingers wandering it the nubby knit of his jumper, pink nails sinking into it. “Well, you have to pick what you win if you win the game,” she explained, matching him hip for hip as she closed the space between them, “then I pick what I win if I win. Or we could keep the stakes a surprise, whoever wins gets to choose what they win?”
Ernie smirked. He needed time to think of the appropriate stakes that he would...no that he might win. He had to be fair, he couldn't start planning his victory party just yet, there was the small matter of winning to take care of first. "A surprise." he proposed. "Anything you want if you win and anything I want w...if I win."
Smiling a secret sort of smile as she caught his momentary pause and then change of words, Hannah nodded. “Deal,” she said, and the lifted her head to kiss him, lingering and not shy. “Good luck.” She stepped back for the table to give him room to work, for now content to simply see him play and discover if she would have to play or truly work for a win.
“Good luck." Ernie echoed, making a grand show of setting the cue ball up to break the other balls apart and then shooting, causing one to go into the pocket immediately. Tossing her a cocky smile, he shot again, making another ball land in the cue. He chided himself, as watching him shoot all of the balls into the pockets probably wouldn't be the most entertaining night for her, so he intentionally missed his next shot. "Good luck." he repeated, stepping back to watch her.
Completely amused by his confidence, Hannah studied him as he made his shot, knowing by his posture that he had missed the last on purpose. Silly boy. “Stripes for me,” she said cheerfully and moved around the table to sink her first with barely a need for set-up. Her second shot was taken with more precision, moving to one stop and then crossing in front of Ernie, tossing him a smile over her shoulder. “Look out, don't want to hit you,” she said and then stretched across the table, stomach flat to the felt, her skirt tightening across her backside with the effort. With a well-aimed shot, two balls sunk into two different holes and she aimed for her fourth. This ball nicked one of his, sinking both balls.
“Your turn,” she said cheerfully, as though she had not just taken out four of her own. The one of his had been on purpose, however, to balance out his own attempt to be nice to her, but she had done it far more skillfully.
Ernie was pleasantly surprised when she landed her first ball, and somewhat shocked when she landed her second and third respectively. Of course, the fact that she had just simultaneously landed two balls wasn't the only thing that nearly left his jaw on the floor, the tension the angle put on her skirt was quite tantalizing too, and she had put herself in the perfect line for him to get a good view of it too. He didn't even guess that she had intentionally knocked one of his own in, as it looked like an artful accident, but it was with a decidedly pleasantly dazed look that he took his pool stick again, sinking one in a shot that admittedly was not his best as the ball seemed to crawl toward the hole and nearly went the wrong way at the last moment as it bounced off of one of hers. He was still so shocked at how effortless she made it all look that his second shot was an obviously unintentional miss.
Repressing the urge to giggle at him, Hannah circled the table twice, examining the balls from all angles, and then set to work. Barely two minutes later, the table was cleared of the rest of her balls, leaving her aiming for the eight ball. She watched him over her shoulder for a minute, loving every bit of his shocked expression, and then sunk the final shot.
When she turned back around, her expression was innocent once more. “We can go two out of three, the break set up made it too easy,” she said generously.
Ernie just gaped at her, initially incapable of forming intelligent speech. "How did you..." He gave her a grin before it turned a bit more predatory and he chalked up his cue again. "Oh it's on..." He lined the balls all up in the triangle, making sure they were positioned perfectly before motioning his go ahead to her. "Go on, then Madame Pool Queen."
Oh boy. Hannah hadn't intended him to give her the break, despite winning. But, his determination for this to be 'on' was adorable and she was more than ready to show him what she could really do. Flashing him a grin, she bent over the table, aimed for the racked balls and expertly split them, sending two solids into pockets at the outset. She sunk three more before stopping to chalk her cue again, watching him from under the down sweep of her lashes.
Ernie realized almost instantly the gravity of his mistake. In the time that seemed like little more than the blink of an eye, she had managed to sink more balls than he could count. "There's a Muggle word for people like you." He said with a teasing sort of grin. "People who look so sweet and innocent and then take people for all they're worth with a gorgeous smile all the time."
Eyes widening for a moment at his use of 'Muggle', Hannah moved to him and kissed him, mostly to shush him. “Don't forget where you are,” she chided gently and then grin, tone returning to a normal volume. “And I think the word you're looking for is con artist? I'm no con artist. You didn't bet one bit of money,” she reasoned, and kissed him again. “And I haven't lied about anything.”
Ernie's face flushed when he realized that he had said the word "Muggle" in a decidedly Muggle establishment. However, his embarrassment was short lived as he winked at her. "No, you might not need money, but I'm getting a bit anxious to see what stakes you've set for yourself, you little minx. But go ahead, I'm looking forward to seeing you trounce me." He motioned for her to continue, though his wide grin told her clear what his words did not...that he was enjoying himself immensely.
Unable to repress her satisfied grin any longer, Hannah set to work knocking the rest of the solids in. She was nearly to the end, tossing little grins and blowing kisses at Ernie after every one, when a male voice all but boomed out her name from behind them. Missing her shot from the distraction, she turned and blinked, then let out a shriek of glee as a burly chap swooped down upon her, swinging her around with a boisterous laugh.
Ernie had been perfectly fine watching Hannah kick his arse (though to be fair it wasn't really kicking HIS arse if he hadn't so much a got a shot in, was it?) when some giant ogreish looking man came storming toward her and swept her up into his arms. His hand darted for his wand but stopped at the last moment, as it seemed that she knew this cretin. Merlin, but he looked big enough to rip the two of them apart with his little finger. Ernie swore softly, waiting to figure out exactly who this man was and what the hell he had to do with Hannah. HIS Hannah. HIS GIRLFRIEND Hannah.
Hannah, however, was completely oblivious to Ernie's upset, as she was currently hugging the bear of a man that had captured her with all her might, her eyes bright and her face flushed with pleasure.
“Ye little vixen, dinna think ye could wander 'bout without 'ol Mick findin' out, did ye?” the man boomed, finished now spinning her about, but had yet to put her down. His bright blue eyes glinted with the same pleasure Hannah was showing.
“No, of course not, I didn't even know you'd be here tonight!” she protested, grinning widely up at him. “I brought Ernie from home to see the place.” Still grinning, she turned as best she could in his grip to grin at Ernie and then look back at Mick. “Mick, this is Ernie Macmillan, my boyfriend. Ernie, this is Mick Collins, the son of the owner of the pub."
Ernie blinked, inspecting the man carefully for any sign of TOO much affection. Not liking the pleased flush to the man's face, he took a step closer to Hannah, grabbing her hand and stroking it with his thumb in the way the he knew that she liked. He wanted it clear that boyfriend had the romantic connotation this time, not a boy that was also her friend. "Pleased to meet you, Mick." he said quietly, obviously the lie of the century, but he thought he hid it well enough.