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Lucy Spinks ([info]addingvalue) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-16 11:53:00

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Entry tags:character: ernie macmillan, character: lucy spinks

More Reunions!
Who: Lucy and Ernie
What: A reunion!
Where: Finnigan's
When: After duelling club
Rating: SFW

After meeting Susan and Hannah, Lucy had finally searched through her old Hogwarts trunk until she'd found her wand. It was now sitting on top of a box file on her desk at home, where she saw it every time she sat down to work. A dozen times she'd reached for it, wondering if it would still work but almost afraid to try. Tuesday night she'd declined Jenny's suggestion that they all go to the pub quiz because she'd wanted to assess the state of her various bank accounts. One current account, one ISA, one savings account...

After staring at the computer screen for half an hour or so, trying and failing to find a spare £200 to send to Alison to help her cover the month's rent, Lucy finally looked away - her eyes falling to her wand. Hesitantly, she picked it up, turning it over in her hands. She hadn't forgotten the spells she'd learned but somehow the act of actually trying to cast one had her heart pounding. After a moment, she slipped the wand into her handbag with her keys and five minutes later was out the door on her way to Tufnell Park tube station.

When she reached The Leaky Cauldron, the archway was already open with two groups passing each other, one in and one out. Lucy tagged onto the group heading in and breathed a sigh of relief. If her wand didn't work, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know that just yet. What she wanted was to see her friends again. So, she headed to Finnigan's, set her shoulders as she walked in and stepped up to the bar to order her drink. Glancing around, she couldn't see Hannah or Susan, but perhaps someone else she knew would be here, or would be along soon. She could wait.



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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-16 08:01 pm UTC (link)
Ernie hopped down the stairs, stretching his fingers out as he made his way from The Roost to The Common Room. Healing could sap the energy out of him at times and make his fingers stiff from casting spells, but he wouldn't give it up for anything.

As he approached the bar, intending to get himself a butterbeer to whet his whistle (nothing alcoholic as he had to work the next morning, and no matter how good hangover potions could be, they never sobered him up quite enough to work at the hospital). He slowed, however, when he spotted and old, familiar face he hadn't seen in far too long.

"Lucy?" he asked tentatively, tilting his head as he approached and trying to make certain she was indeed who he thought she was. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd mistaken a person for someone else, though this time he wasn't trying to snog someone he thought he'd shagged the night before only to find they were a total stranger (though yes, that had turned out rather well, now that he thought about it...). "Lucy Spinks? Is that you?"

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-16 08:18 pm UTC (link)
Lucy was just putting her money away - glad Susan had exchanged some of Lucy's muggle notes for wizarding coins last time she'd been here - when she heard her name. "Ernie?" She was so pleased to see him that she turned from the bar as he approached, stepping forward and hugging him. She stretched up to kiss his cheek and stayed there for a moment. It seemed to be getting easier, seeing all her old friends again. There was less guilt, less anxiety.

She didn't know if Hannah or Susan had mentioned seeing her, but as she pulled away she looked Ernie over. "Still handsome, I see." She mentally tallied the coins in her pocket against what she'd been charged for the alcoholic ginger beer she'd just bought. "Can I get you a drink?" she ought to have enough. "Did you just come from upstairs?" He hadn't come from the front door, she knew that much, as it was within sight of her position. "I didn't know there was an upstairs. You weren't leaving, were you?" She was babbling - so maybe she was still a little anxious, but it was also good to see a friendly face tonight.

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-17 02:40 am UTC (link)
He hugged her back, so happy that he'd been right. He hadn't seen her in ages, it seemed, and couldn't remember how long it had actually been since they'd last met one another. "Of course I am, do you really think a face like this would be anything else?"

He playfully strightened his head as if to better show off his handsome face, then chuckled. "Yeah, there's a Duelling club on Tuesday evenings and I help out by standing by should anyone get hurt. Oh, you know I'm a healer now, right? If you don't, well I am," he grinned in pride. "I was going to have a butterbeer. Would you like to join me? We can catch up, lots of time to catch up on... unless you've got something to do or someplace to go?"

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-17 08:02 am UTC (link)
Lucy laughed and shook her head. "No, of course I don't, it's just good to see your beautiful face again." She offered a more subdued smile. "It's been a long time." She paid for his butterbeer and offered it to him, glancing around to see if there was a table free where they could sit.

"I bumped into Hannah and she mentioned that you and Justin were in healing, though I haven't seen Justin yet." She felt bad about that, when Justin had been the one to owl her after the war, trying to tell her it was safe to come back. If she'd been able to she'd have owled him now - but she'd never had an owl of her own and she could no longer access Hogwarts owlery. She linked her arm through Ernie's as they headed for a table by the window. "Of course I want to catch up with you! I want to know... everything."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-17 05:47 pm UTC (link)
He would have insisted on paying had she not taken the initiative of paying for him, so he took the butterbeer as gracefully as he could before allowing her to lead the way to the table, hugging her arm close as they went.

"Everything would probably take too long, so maybe I'll give you a sort of summary? So yeah, Justin and I are both healers, though he moves around a little bit in terms of wards while I've found a home in the Janus Thickey Ward, which is a little slow compared to Emerg but suits me fine. You know about Han. Sue's an auror and kicking arse. We've gotten pretty close with Seamus and Dean too, from Gryffindor, and there are lots of others who pop in and out. Nobody's married or pregnant that I know of... And what about you?"

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-18 10:49 am UTC (link)
Lucy nodded. "Seamus owns this place, right? And Dean was his friend at school?" She vaguely remembered them from shared lessons. Actually, she even sort of thought she'd seen Dean in a coffee shop in muggle London once, but seeing as he was apparently working here she'd probably been mistaken. Either way, she wasn't going to mention it.

"Oh, I worked in a shop for a while. In Sheffield." She made a face and took a sip of her drink. "It wasn't... I had no muggle qualifications." It hadn't been easy and for months she'd be certain she'd be found out and fired. Instead, things had gone surprisingly well for her. "I got put into the cash office and, well. Turns out I'm good with numbers." She couldn't help smiling a little at that, proud and pleased that there was something at which she was skilled. "So anyway, I got a job in London, working with a children's charity."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-18 04:52 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, Seamus owns Finnigan's, Dean's his best mate, and I think we've practically made them honourary Hufflepuffs considering how often we all hang out together." He took a sip of his butterbeer, needing something to cool him down after the long day.

He listened as she told her own story, happy she'd found a path eventually. "The charity sounds like a wonderful move. Though, does it pay well? Non-profits aren't always the highest paid jobs, from what I've heard. And what sort of work do you do for them?"

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-18 10:30 pm UTC (link)
Lucy smiled, hoping it would cover the brief flicker of envy she'd felt when Ernie named Seamus and Dean honorary Hufflepuffs. If they could become housemates by spending time with her friends, what did that make her? Not a Hufflepuff anymore because she'd been away so long? She wasn't sure. For years she'd hated feeling a little out of place in the magical world, but when she'd returned to her roots the amount of deception she'd had to practice had made her feel an outsider there too.

"Not terribly well," she admitted. "I share a house with my sister and two of our friends. But I like feeling like I'm doing some good - even if I'm not actually directly involved in doing active charity work. I help run the business and admin side of things." If Ernie worked in a hospital, even a magical one, he probably knew just how important than could be. "It's rewarding in its own way, and it means our actual charity workers can focus on the kids."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-20 12:45 am UTC (link)
"Hey, don't underestimate the influence of a good administrator. When all the books and such are taken care of, it allows the others to do their jobs without worry. I'm sure they consider you as much a part of the team as anyone else." He reached out to pat her hand.

"Other than work, what's been going on with you? Any lucky blokes in your life yet? If not, let me know and I'll see who I know."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-22 01:09 pm UTC (link)
Her smile brightened at that - she'd thought Ernie would understand, and he did. "I think they do," she agreed. "Sometimes I think it would be nice to get to spend time with the kids, but then I see the staff getting off the bus just as I'm going home and how tired they look." She gave a shrug. It wasn't really the extra hours or the tiring physical work that put her off, she had lots of energy. She was more concerned that the others were trained in childcare or development or special needs education and she was afraid she couldn't measure up.

She shook her head, laughing, at his question. "A few dates here and there, but nothing serious." It was difficult, when she had to keep so much of her childhood back from them. "I'm... not sure I'm ready for magical dating," she admitted more quietly. "What about you?"

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-24 01:41 am UTC (link)
"Maybe you will one day, if you want to. There's plenty of time to change your mind, go in another direction." He'd said as much recently to Neville, and it likely wouldn't be the last. He was very lucky to have found his passion so young in life, but even he didn't discount the possibility that some day his mind might change and he might want to take another path in life.

"Well, I don't really know if there's much of a difference between Muggle and magical dating, since I've never dated a Muggle, but I don't think it would be that diferent. But I'm not seeing anyone. A few shags here and there, but I want to fall in love, you know? Find someone nice, and I won't settle for anything less," he added with a grin. "Though if you ever feel like magical dating, let me know - I'll make you a list of men and/or women to introduce you to."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-24 08:25 am UTC (link)
"That's true," Lucy said. "I don't know if I could ever make it my job, but maybe one day I'll have more time - and more money - to help in other ways." Right now, she still had to budget carefully to be able to do everything she wanted. "Do you enjoy healing?"

Ernie had a point. There probably wouldn't be that much difference, but Lucy still felt a little uneasy here in the magical world. She wasn't even sure yet she could still do magic. That left her feeling even more awkward than it did when she had to lie to her dates about schooling. "We're still young," she said, referring to Ernie's situation as much as her own. "We have time to find people, but if I ever need a list of men I'll let you be the first to know."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-25 01:30 am UTC (link)
"I love it," he replied, and it showed in his face and the tone of his voice. "To me, there's no better feeling in the world than someone looking up after I've done something to heal them and being so happy. It's a privilege that I get to do it for a living - sometimes I think I should be paying them."

Ernie grinned - if only she knew his mind was already coming up with a potential list to be ready just in case. "You're right, we've many years ahead of us." He spontaneously grabbed his drink and held it up in her direction. "To youth, old friends, and future loves."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-25 01:03 pm UTC (link)
Seeing Ernie's obvious joy in his job seemed to ease something inside Lucy. If her friends could be so happy now, maybe the war hadn't touched them as badly as she'd feared after she left. Maybe things really were good again now... "That's awesome, Ernie." She gave his hand a squeeze. "We're all so grown up. Does it ever scare you?" She smiled, showing she was only joking.

She clinked her glass against his and laughed. "I'll drink to that!" And, indeed, she did, finishing off her ginger beer. "I still can't believe I walked down a street and found you all..." she admitted. "It seems like it must be a dream, that it can't be this easy."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-26 12:56 am UTC (link)
Ernie laughed. Did being grown up scare him? "Every bloody day. Sometimes I wonder how I'm able to pay my bills and have a flat of my own, or other times I shake my head in amazement at my bank balance. A part of me thinks I should still be living with my parents and going back to Hogwarts. Do you ever get that feeling?"

He drank from his bottle, noticing he was getting pretty close to the bottom. It had been a long day and evening, but a good one. "Not a dream, unless of course you'd like me to pinch you to make sure," he winked. "But sometimes things work out like that - like they were meant to be."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-26 01:11 pm UTC (link)
Lucy laughed but shook her head. "Not back to Hogwarts." She'd loved her friends there, but that didn't mean she wanted to go back. She preferred being able to take pride in doing her job well to constant anxiety and hard work that never seemed to pay off. Sometimes she wondered what she could have been if she'd never got her letter. Maybe she'd have gone to university like Katie. "And I still live with my big sister, though she doesn't mother me as much as Katie would."

She levelled Ernie a challenging look. "I'd like to see you try." She watched him warily, ready for any sudden moves but not breaking her concentration from their chat. "Well, I guess someone wants me here." Someone had sent her that journal, and the Finnigan's leaflet after all. She just didn't know who.

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-27 01:10 am UTC (link)
"Yeah, I guess too much mothering ruins it - except when you're sick, of course. Can never have too of it when you're sick, though - at least I can't, but then, I'm a horrible patient."

At the challenging look, Ernie held his hands up in surrendering motion. "Not to worry, I don't pinch the unwilling. There's plenty of blokes I'd happily pinch instead." He grinned and put his hands down. "I guess someone did. I for one am glad. It's been too long. I know you have family outside, but we're your people too, right?"

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-28 08:19 am UTC (link)
Lucy made an obviously unhappy face. "Ugh. I just want to be alone when I'm sick," she said, then she smiled. "Hey, they must sell that peppery potion stuff here somewhere, right? I used to love that. Works so much better than lemsip."

She laughed and nodded. "That's right. Save your pinching for someone who'll appreciate it." Lucy still wondered whether it might have been Ernie who sent her the journal - though why wouldn't he just say so? "It's been good to see people again." She still wasn't sure she was ready to return to anything else about the magical world.

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-29 12:05 am UTC (link)
"Oh yes, Pepper-up. They sell it at most apothecaries, and I usually keep a small store at my flat, just in case. I can sent you a bottle by owl if you need some."

Ernie nodded. "I've always thought that we need old friends in our lives. We change so much that it's nice to have people around who remember us when we were short, naive firsties still trying to find our way around Hogwarts."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-29 11:16 am UTC (link)
"Pepper-up, that's right," Lucy echoed, the words coming back to her as Ernie said them. "I don't know, an owl might freak my housemates out a bit." She'd been lucky that the owl with the journal had arrived at her bedroom window and she'd been alone, but she didn't think having owls arrive for her on a regular basis was at all a good idea. "I can just buy some, but thanks anyway."

Lucy smiled, remembering what they'd all been like at that age. "You seemed very knowledgable to me," she reminded him. "I felt so lost, and you were so helpful explaining all the terms I didn't understand."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-09-30 03:58 pm UTC (link)
"All right, no owls, I promise," he grinned. "Your housemates don't know you're a witch, then?"

He chuckled. "Well, even then I knew everything. But I tried, everyone was like family and I've always taken care of my family. Even when they've been away a while," he said with a significant look.

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[info]addingvalue
2014-09-30 05:34 pm UTC (link)
Lucy gave a tiny shrug. Honestly, she'd almost stopped thinking of herself as a witch until lately. "My sister knows, of course, but her friends don't. I haven't -" She paused and stopped. No, she didn't want to tell anyone that she'd completely given up magic. Not yet. "I haven't had any reason to tell them," she corrected.

She smiled. Ernie hadn't changed - still trying to help everyone who crossed his path. "Hopefully I'll need less taking care of now than I did at eleven," she answered, making her voice confident, even if she was still uncertain about the truth of that. "And I hope someone is looking after you, too, Ernie?"

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-10-01 02:26 am UTC (link)
"I'm lucky I've never had to make that decision. I do know, however, what it's like to hide a part of yourself from those you love. You're under no obligation to tell them, but it would be nice if you could."

He playfuly waved her off. "Who, me? I'm perfect, nobody needs to look after me." He chuckled before giving a shrug. "Don't worry, Justin, Susan, and Hannah make sure that I'm okay. I'm in good hands. And so are you, even if those hands are your own."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-10-01 08:25 am UTC (link)
"Is that allowed now?" Lucy had been out of the wizarding world for a long time - was it possible the statue of secrecy had been amended? The hope died quickly. No, she'd have heard something. Besides, she'd had a visit from obliviators not all that long ago the one time she accidentally did magic in front of her flatmates. She shook her head. "No, I know it's not. They had to wipe my flatmates' memories a few months ago."

She nodded, glad to hear Ernie had people looking after him - and giving him a grin for knowing she could handle herself. "Well, you can add me to the list now." She'd found her friends again - she wasn't going to let them go now. "If you ever need help with anything in muggle London, I'd be happy to return the favour."

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-10-02 01:27 am UTC (link)
Ernie winced sheepishly. "Sorry, you're right - I think I was just talking a little more about myself there, at least how things were at one time. But it would still be nice if there weren't a Statute and you could be open. Either way, you're always welcome back here to be yourself."

He smiled affectionately and reached over to pat her hand. "Thank you. I may just take you up on that. I haven't been to see a film in ages - maybe we can go sometime?" he asked hopefully.

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[info]addingvalue
2014-10-02 08:34 am UTC (link)
Lucy's smile was wistful. She could only imagine how nice that would be, to be able to share real stories of her schooling with her friends, rather than always having to try to dodge the topic. Though part of her doubted it could ever be that easy. Magic was always going to be something which unnerved people, just as it had her parents and her sisters. Being able to talk about it might make things worse. "At least while I'm here I don't have to hide anything," she lied.

She grinned at his mention of films. "Definitely! We can go to the cinema, or you can come round to my flat and we can have a movie marathon - as long as you're careful." She was sure Ernie could not mention magic for a couple of hours, and she could always help. "What movies have you seen, anything you particularly enjoyed?"

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-10-03 01:07 am UTC (link)
"Either is good for me," he said, nodding enthusiastically. "And I promise, no magical talk around the Muggles. I can be good, I promise." He grinned. "I like a bit of everything - it's all just so fascinating. Like a photograph but it captures more than just a few seconds of time."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-10-03 04:30 pm UTC (link)
"I'm sure you can," Lucy said, already thinking through her own movie collection and wondering whether she had anything from a genre Ernie hadn't yet experienced. She grinned, eyes shining. "How do you feel about musicals? Because Chicago is amazing." She wasn't even sure Ernie would know what a musical was - but if he didn't that was even better. She'd love to surprise him with it.

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-10-04 12:05 am UTC (link)
Ernie's eyes lit up - he loved musicals. "I haven't seen Chicago yet. Justin had me watch The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music, but that's all I've seen so far. Are there any others you'd recommend? I'm starting to think I need to get a video thing of my own - I do have a telly at home, though I don't use it very much."

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[info]addingvalue
2014-10-04 11:08 am UTC (link)
Lucy snorted with laughter. "Chicago is... very different from The Sound of Music." Very different. She couldn't wait to introduce Ernie to it. "But really good. So you have to come round. We'll do Chicago and I'll make you dinner." Lucy looked down at her glass. "It's either time for another or time for me to get home, I think," she mused. "What about you?"

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[info]erniedtmac
2014-10-04 11:03 pm UTC (link)
At Lucy's question, Ernie looked at his empty bottle of butterbeer. "I suppose I can let you go, now that I've a promise to see you again. I have to work in the morning anyway. But as I said, I get to see you again, no disappearing into the Muggle world, all right?" He offered her a hug as he rose up from his seat.

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[info]addingvalue
2014-10-05 07:38 am UTC (link)
Lucy flushed slightly. No disappearing into the Muggle world. Right. In a way, it was nice to know her friends were so keen to keep her around but it also felt strange... She shook her head, trying to get past it. She wrapped her arms around Ernie and kissed his cheek before she took her leave. "I promise. You must see Chicago."

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