Who: Angus Campbell and Ama MacFarlane What: Operation Forward March marches on. When: Evening of Friday, 16 March 2000 Where: In and around The MacDonald Arms, Tobermory, Isle of Mull Warnings: Drinking, tipsy caterwauling, funny business.
He'd always thought Ama MacFarlane had been pretty in school, so he was prepared, but Angus's jaw still dropped a bit when she apparated in and he caught a glimpse of her as an adult, because now she was gorgeous. He shut it firmly and grinned at her, smoothing back his own hair self-consciously. "Weel now," he said. "Maddock didna tell me you were still so beautiful."
He offered his hand to shake. "Welcome to Mull, Ama."
Ama had been caught off-balance when Maddock had cornered her at Lorna's party to ask her if she'd remembered Angus Campbell, and had proceeded to tell that he was a braw lad and had shoved his floo address in her hand. At which point she'd felt slightly stunned, and Maddock ended up offering to have Angus contact her. Which he had. And it had been surprisingly easy to talk to him. Not that she usually had trouble talking to anyone but... well, with the prospect of a date she was surprised she hadn't fallen back onto being serious at all.
Initially she'd planned on going to the 'Golden Neep' book launch, and it wasn't until a day or so after being asked out that she'd realised the clash. The date with Angus had won out seeming the the far more interesting prospect of the two options - even it had been 'forever' since she'd last been on a date. Though it had meant having to find a completely new outfit since the one she had chosen was definitely too fancy for a date at a pub.
It was a little hard to go changing her mind now having just apparated to the coordinates that Angus had given her. She was just smoothing out her dress when she heard Angus, and couldn't stop herself from flushing slightly at the compliment, or the smile that followed. Ama got a better look at Angus then, and couldn't quite equate the guy in front of her with the boy she remembered from Hogwarts. Although Maddock really may not have been far off with the 'braw lad' comment, even if he hadn't meant it in that way. "I see I wasn't wrong about you being charming then," she teased, as she took his proffered hand and shook it. "Thanks."
"I reckon you're not wrong at all," Angus agreed, and grinned at her, offering his arm. "Shall we?"
It wasn't much of a walk to Angus's chosen destination from the apparation point, so there wasn't time for more than the most cursory small talk before he shepherded her through the door of his local.
"Dinnae mind the carpeting," he told her, wrinkling his nose at the MacDonald tartan covering the floor. "I'm sorry to say they've got no style here, but what they do have is the best choice of whiskeys on the isle." He saluted the barmaid and caught a barstool with his foot, pulling it out for Ama with a flourish. "If the lady pleases."
Ama nodded, as she took his arm and they headed off to the pub. She tried to suppress a snort when Angus told her to not mind the carpeting. She cleared her throat. "It's no matter, and at least the carpet isn't in MacFarlane Modern. No matter how good a whiskey you're drinking, I don't think you'd be able to enjoy with that staring back up at you." The Hunting tartan was fine, and their Black and White for mourning was just fine too, but the Modern Red... well, it certainly wasn't the best thing to look at if you were planning on getting drunk.
"Thanks," she said, smiling as she sat down. Usually she was just fine when talking to people but apparently the moment she happened to be on a date... nothing. So it took Ama a little moment to think of anything to talk about but finally realised she couldn't avoid the subject of Quidditch for the whole evening. "So that was an interesting match for Montrose last weekend..."
Angus shook his head in agreement as he took his seat next to her. "Interesting's one word for it. That was awful for us, I dinnae mind saying. We squeaked by in the end, thanks to our wee reserve Seeker and her Merlin-charmed timing, but… Wigtown? They shouldn't've been able to catch us off like that, or take out two of ours." He frowned, still stewing on that almost a week later. "Wigtown. Well, good for them, they caught us fair and square. If we meet those lucky bastards again in playoffs, I hope we can repay 'em for that match."
He signalled to the barmaid, who knew him well and was already pouring out two whiskeys. "Do you get out to matches much? I dinnae ken how your department works. Are you working during matches or is your job before and after?"
"I'd heard what happened to your reserve Keeper and Beater. That was..." Ama trailed off because... well, Angus pretty much said it all when he said it'd been awful for Montrose. Losing your Keeper that early would've been enough to throw off any team in the league... and yet. "It was pretty amazing though that you all managed to keep on it for... what was it, another four or five hours?" Even if her ties to Quidditch were mostly through Portree it didn't mean she couldn't appreciate when another team managed to pull off something that, by all accounts, should've been improbable really. "Best of luck if you do," she said, and meant it.
"Not a whole lot really. I try to make it to any Portree matches though. Mostly because I couldn't really think of any other way to support what my brother does, and it has the added benefit of being able to support my sister-in-law as well," she replied with a small smile. "Ah, we mostly make sure the stadiums stay standing so you all have somewhere to play... something like that anyway. I don't usually work during matches, no. Not unless something went spectacularly wrong with the stadium. So yeah, it's mostly a before and after thing really."
"Aha," Angus answered, and grinned, sliding one of the whiskeys over to her. "Weel, cheers to you then. Never seen a stadium fall down, so I reckon you're doing a good job of it."
He sipped at his own whiskey and made an approving noise, lifting his glass to Ama. "Moira over there reckons it's a night for Laphroaig," he informed her, nodding at the curly-haired, matronly bartender. "It's from Islay, just about fifty miles south of here as the broom flies. You're meant to be able to taste the seaweed in the peat they have there. Wee bit salty, wee bit smoky, very bold. See what you think, darlin'. We're going to find out which whiskey you fancy, if you're up for some tasting."
Ama chuckled as she reached for the whiskey passed to her. "Reckon I'd be out of a job if any of them did."
She gave a nod and smile to the bartender herself before she raised the glass and gave it a quick tentative sniff as she listened to Angus. Ama was raising it to her lips just as she caught the last of what he said and there was a slight smirk at the corner of her lips "Sure, so long as you're not trying to get me drunk?" she teased, before taking a sip of her whiskey.
He certainly hadn't been kidding about the boldness of it. Not having drank whiskey for a while there was a slight cough as the familiar slightly burning sensation of whiskey went down her throat. "It's certainly a unique taste," she commented. "Probably not one that I'd personally have too often but it's not terrible."
"Not terrible," Angus repeated solemnly. "A ringin' endorsement for Islay, truly." He winked at her and sipped at his own, settling in comfortably. "I promise I willna get you any drunker than you desire. Food will help with that. I do recommend the haddock, but anything from the kitchen's good. Except the salads." He collected a paper menu from Moira and tapped it on the bar in front of Ama.
The meal and getting through a few more tastings of whiskey, with water in between to cleanse the palate and keep his date from getting sozzled as promised, took them through the general conversation about jobs, family, and history. Angus had been on a few first dates recently, so this sort of question-and-answer was nothing unfamiliar by now, and he was able to relax and enjoy himself.
Between keeping up with Ama and finishing the drinks she rejected, Angus was a little tipsy when she declared that the light, honey-gold Isle of Jura was the champion of the isle whiskeys, and he raised his glass in a celebratory toast. "Weel, there you are," he said, proud as a teacher watching a pupil take a prize. "Now you know when you go out what to tell the barkeep you like in your whiskey. I'd bet you didna reckon you'd get an education in the malts of the isles tonight, eh?"
Even with the meal, and glasses of water in-between drinking, Ama was definitely starting to feel much more relaxed and definitely a little buzzed from the whiskey. Ama smiled, clinking her glass against his, before taking another sip. It was definitely a more to her tastes; although the others really hadn't been terrible just perhaps a bit strong in flavour for someone who wasn't a regular whiskey drinker. "Here's hoping I don't go and forget the name of it," she responded grinning. "Something like that, but then don't reckon I knew how tonight would go since..."
Ama trailed off as soon as she'd said that. It was a bit embarrassing to admit to the fact you were a thirty-something woman who hadn't been on a date in... well, quite a while, and she didn't usually fancy people's responses to that. Though from what she'd seen tonight she didn't expect Angus would respond at all cruelly. But that didn't stop her from feeling in any way embarrassed at having to admit that.
"Been a while, eh?" Angus asked, smiling over at her. "Weel, I've had a couple dates in the last little while, but before that it was… since before the war." He rubbed his hand over his mouth, hesitating, because he hadn't talked about his wartime experiences yet. "I had a girlfriend who… her folks were Muggleborn, and she left with them when they saw which way the wind was blowin'. And then I was…" He shrugged, pausing for a long moment. "Azkaban," he said finally, with his eyes on the bar, because that really said it all. "Then recoverin' from Azkaban. Then hoping my girl would come back, which she never did, and now she's married to some other bloke and all. So dinnae fash, darlin'. I think we're both doing just fine, all things considered."
"Something like that," she replied, managing a smile. Ama wasn't sure of exactly when the last was for her, and sure as anything that that was a sign it had been far too long. It was probably before the war for her as well. She hadn't meant to inadvertently bring up the war but she listened sympathetically as Angus continued. "Dinnae think I got much to fash about with good whiskey an' good company," she responded, sounding a good deal more Scottish than she usually did, smiling as she held her glass up. "Be a shame to ruin a perfectly fine date by getting all maudlin now, wouldn't it?"
Angus nodded decisively. He tipped his glass to meet hers carefully, drained it, and set it down firmly on the bar. "Absolutely right it would, Ama. It would indeed. Moira!" He gestured the bartender over, giving her his most charming smile. Set us up wi' another Isle o' Jura each, love. The lass here knows what she wants."
"And so do you, Angus Campbell," the matronly bartender answered, agreeably pouring.
He winked and saluted her with the fresh dram of golden whisky. "Cheers, darlin'," he told Ama. "Tae good whiskey and good company. May we always be supplied wi' both."
Ama chuckled, grinning as she saluted Angus back with her own fresh dram. "Hear, hear," she said, before taking a sip of her whiskey.
As the evening progressed onwards they chatted easily and enjoyed their whiskey. Ama found it easier and easier to talk to Angus as the night wore on but then he was easy to talk to. Well, the consumption of whiskey probably helped a bit too. It was definitely the whiskey's fault that she ended up telling Angus some of the shenanigans she'd gotten up to in the past; something she normally wouldn't have told anyone about except for probably her siblings. Ama was just finishing telling him the ending of her last story as they were leaving the pub.
"O'course took me forever to feel I could show my face again. Not that that's stopped me worrying someone there'll remember what happened," she said, smiling sheepishly. Ama breathed in cool salty night air. It was refreshing after having spent the evening inside the pub. "Thanks for tonight. I reckon I was needin' a reminder that dating isna so bad, even if it's been a while."
Angus laughed in appreciation as Ama finished her tale. He enjoyed a good pub story, and a woman who could laugh at herself, and a beautiful woman at that. "Oh, I wouldna say that, love," he told her, grinning. "I've been on plenty of terrible dates in my time. But I'm glad to hear this one isna so bad." He winked and offered her his arm. "Unless you've got somewhere to hurry off to, let's walk off the whiskey a wee bit, eh? The harbour's lovely at night."
"Been on plenty myself. Guess what I meant was I needed the reminder it isna so bad, or scary, to give dating a chance when it's been a pretty while since last giving it a go," she explained. As first dates go, whether it had been a while or not, this was definitely up there as one of the better ones. Ama almost chuckled aloud when she realised how Maddock would react when she eventually told him she'd actually enjoyed herself on the date. "A walk sounds pretty good," she replied, smiling as she took the proffered arm.
It was a surprisingly clear night just made for walking, with all the stars in the early spring sky out, the harbour lights shining, and the sound and smell of the waves and the sea wind adding to Angus's contentment. "I love this town, this island," he said after a few moments of comfortable silence. "Reckon I'd stay here all my life if I could. No better place on Earth." He tipped his head to look at Ama. "Which isn't to say a thing against London," he added fairly. "But 'east or west, home is best'. Have you heard that one before, Ama?"
There was something peaceful about walking along the harbour and watching the lights of the town reflected in the water, or looking up at the stars and being able to actually see them clearer than she had in a long while. "I can see why you would," she commented. Though she'd only seen a small part of Tobermory, and Mull at that, but she could easily see why someone might never want to leave, or at least see why they would always come back. She smiled, not at all offended by any slight to London. It was home, and yet it wasn't home. It was more of a convenience even though being a witch meant she could get to almost anywhere in a near instant. Ama gave a quick shake of her head before replying. "No... I've heard ones of a similar theme before but not that one."
Angus rested his hand over hers as they walked, watching Ama rather than the view. "There's a whole song on the topic about Mull, Eilean Muileach. If we weren't in public I'd sing it out for you, but I do have to admit my singin' voice sounds much better in pubs when everyone is well sozzled." He grinned over at her. "Another time, eh?"
"Not a thing to do with everyone too far gone to complain then?" she asked teasingly. Ama was sure his voice was fine enough, and was tempted to insist for a performance there and then. "Maybe. I might be needin' a preview to really decide."
He chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Weel, I could never refuse a lady a seaside serenade, but I will warn ye in advance, I've been known to set dogs to howlin' and make small children cry. Remember you asked for this." He cleared his throat ostentatiously, set one hand over his heart, and bawled out at the top of his lungs, "'Twas by a woman's treach'rous hand / That I was condemned tae dee…"
Angus was laughing by the end of the line and couldn't go on, which was probably a blessing for Ama and for the people who were staring at them on the street.
Ama's eyes widened. She didn't think Angus would take her seriously, and was about to tell him she was only kidding when he started to sing. Instinctively she covered her face with her hand, as if somehow that meant she'd be able to hide or pretend she wasn't there. However, it was pretty hard to not actually laugh at such an overly dramatic rendition, and by the end of it Ama was laughing and having to hang onto Angus to steady herself. "Angus... I was only... kidding," she managed to get out in between the laughing.
It took her a moment to to get her breathing back under control, and that's when she heard it. In the distance, the very distinctive sound of a dog howling. The moment she heard that it just set her off laughing again.
Ama's laughter was all he wanted from that mock performance, and the perfect timing of the distant dog set it all off better than Angus could have hoped. He was wiping away tears by the time he got his breath back, and he waved away the curious looks of people passing by on the street. "Weel, you should know better than to kid about music to an islander who's a few whiskeys deep, darlin'," he informed her. "We tend to take our singin' seriously. But now that the whole town's been witness to my shame, reckon I need to go hide my face and sober up wi' a nice pot of tea." Angus lifted an eyebrow at Ama. "Care to come back to mine, Ama? For tea?"
After a moment she had managed to calm herself down again, though would still chuckle or smile sheepishly at anyone looking their way. "Weel, someone didna warn me 'bout that did they," she responded, as she playfully shoving him in the shoulder. For a split second she almost thought she'd heard the question wrong. But no, Angus had actually asked her back to his place for tea. And before she really started thinking about it too much Ama found herself answering. "Sure, why not?"
"There's a good motto," Angus answered, grinning, and nodded his head toward a dim alley. "Come on, then, I'll side-along you."
It wasn't until they'd apparated into the kitchen of his home, his arm still wrapped firmly around Ama's waist for the side-along, that he thought to add, "By the way, I live with my ma. If that's not a deal-breaker, then… tea?"
Ama gazed up at Angus, keenly aware of his arm still around her waist (and trying to ignore how comfortable it felt), and shook her head. "I don't think it is?" she replied. There were probably worst, more off-putting things, than that. Not that she was relishing the chance at suddenly meeting his ma any time soon. "And you didn't exactly promise it but there was certainly expectations of there being tea if I came back to yours."
"Expectations, hm?" Angus grinned down at her, not yet stepping back because Ama wasn't. "And ye'll be greatly disappointed if the tea doesna appear immediately, will ye?" He lifted his hand to brush back her hair from her face.
"Maybe," she managed to answer without stammering. Because, oh boy, she didn't expect the date to take quite such a turn when she'd agreed to it, and now her heart felt like it was going a mile a minute. "Guess that kind of depends what happens before the tea appears," she added teasingly.
Ama had just intended to enjoy the evening, say good night and head home to her own bed. And here she was. In a kitchen that definitely wasn't her's. And now all she could think of was wanting to kiss him. Which is what she promptly did. As she was kissing him part of her couldn't help thinking that the whiskey was definitely at least partially at fault.
He wasn't exactly expecting her to take that step, but he wasn't exactly not expecting it, either. Angus hadn't been planning anything in particular in bringing Ama home with him, just feeling out what she wanted from the evening. It was with greatest pleasure that he settled his hands comfortably on her waist and back, only roving a little, and settled in for a leisurely, exploratory snog.
He pulled back after a while, keeping one hand on the small of her back, rubbing little circles there. "Weel, that was lovely, darlin'," he said, his voice gone a tone deeper. "If ye'd care to continue this, someplace my ma will nae walk in…" Angus tilted his head toward the staircase, still smiling down at her. "Or if we should make that tea, that'd be a braw way to end this bonny evening, too. Up to you, love."
Oh, Merlin. It'd definitely been far too long! Though at the moment that fact kind of had its merits since it felt really good. But she still made a mental note that whatever happened from this that she would certainly try harder not to leave it quite so long between dating or snogging.
"Mhmm," she murmured in agreement. With her arms still draped over his shoulders, Ama glanced in the direction Angus indicated. "I ken that's a chat I dinnae want right now," she replied with a slight chuckle. Her tone was soft, and the Scottish accent she'd never quite lost came to the fore despite all her London living. Ama glanced up at Angus, her fingers lightly toying with the collar of his shirt, and gave him a winsome smile. "Reckon there's plenty time for tea later..."
"Reckon there is," Angus agreed, charmed by that smile, as if he needed more charming. He wasn't able to resist dipping down to kiss her upturned lips once more before disentangling them, taking her hand, and leading her toward the stair.
When he finally did get around to making that tea, the pot was on a breakfast tray that he floated up to his room the next morning, dodging his ma's questions, and by the time they got around to drinking it he had to rewarm it all over again.