Gale Hawthorne [Hunger Games] (seamless) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-06-12 09:32:00 |
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Pansy would have never believed it when she'd first gotten here, but she was beginning to enjoy being in this little Muggle town. Here, no one knew - or particularly cared - about her family's disgrace. No one cared that she was in a relationship with a Muggle - a very satisfying one, in fact. And she had a job she enjoyed. Between the herbs in the apothecary and the wine, she was able to apply her schooling while enjoying herself. She was in a fairly good mood, then, when the door opened and a somewhat familiar face walked on. “Morning,” she said, looking at him consideringly. “Where I do know you from?” *** Gale was used to getting strange looks from people. It was just a way of life. Maybe because he’d been in town a while back, and had gone away for a while only to return. People had seen him then, had forgotten about him, and now he was back. That alone would cause a few raised brows. Most didn’t say anything, though, and it wasn’t like it was a problem. Gale stopped, though, and looked the woman over. He knew her, too. He’d seen her before. He remembered talking to her...but where? It took a few seconds, but he was able to fill in the blanks, and see the table between them, the drinks they’d been drinking. “Speed dating,” he told her. “You were my last date.” *** Pansy snapped her fingers. “Yes, that’s right,” she said. Now she remembered where she’d seen his face. Unfortunately, she remembered nothing else about him. Rather than admitting it, or telling him point blanks he didn’t remember him - she really was growing as a person - she moved right on. “What are you in here for ?” *** “Allergies,” Gale admitted. He had a sensitive throat, probably from working in the mines as long as he did. It hadn’t actually been long at all, but one day under ground inhaling coal dust was long enough to cause life long problems. He wouldn’t have been offended if she said she didn’t remember details. He didn’t either. She’d been a bit of a snob, he thought, but other than that, he didn’t really remember much. The whole evening was a blur, because he was firmly dating Madge now. *** “What kind?” Pansy pushed away from the counter and stood back to examine the rows and rows of herbs displayed on the shelves. She'd already lost interest in their shared speed date as well, although she did briefly wonder if he'd found someone at the event. He had a rugged sort of appeal to him that could be attractive to some women, she supposed. *** “Pollen,” he told her. “I have a hard time every spring.” He hated it. But he loved the spring, so he figured it was a give and take. He managed the annoyance with medications,a nd enjoyed the blooming of the flowers regardless of the distress it caused him otherwise. Speed dating seemed so long ago. He’d grown and changed considerably since then. At least in his relationships, He was quite happy with Madge at this point. The evening had been fun, certainly. He’d enjoyed it. But he didn’t need it now. *** “Mm.” Medical potions were by no means Pansy’s specialty, but she had a strong enough grasp of them that she knew she could handle this minor issue. She asked a few more questions about his health before coming up with a combination that would work. “This should do the trick,” she said with satisfaction. “And it's simple enough that even you can brew it yourself. I'll make you the first batch to make sure it works.” *** “That’s very kind of you,” Gale said. He appreciated her efforts. He hoped it showed in his smile. He was grateful. He was also more than capable, and quite confident once she told him what he needed to do, he’d be able to do it no problem. Still, having the first batch done for him would be extremely helpful. “You’re sure it isn’t any trouble?” he asked. He wanted to be sure she wasn’t putting herself out. *** Pansy lifted an eyebrow at him. “You're quite naively sweet to ask, but this is what I'm paid to do,” she pointed out. “I don't get paid enough, mind you, but that's another story.” Quickly and efficiently, she gathered the ingredients and brewed the potion as she explained to him what she was doing. Pansy was actually a good teacher when she put her mind to it. *** Gale watched and listened as she explained. He learned by watching, and absorbed everything she said. When it was done, he took the potion she’d created. “Thank you very much.” His thanks was sincere. It might be her job, but that didn’t mean she didn’t deserve genuine gratitude. *** |