Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "That's what she said."

about_abbott (about_abbott) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-10-20 18:16:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: october 30 2003, character: ernie macmillan, character: hannah abbott, character: lavender brown

Who: Hannah and Lavender Brown (later Ernie MacMillan)
What: People have to eat and drink
When: between 7 and 10 pm Thursday, October 30, 2003
Where: Leaky Cauldron

Hannah was glad she had a long shift today. By the time the supper rush was over she was feeling like her normal self. Working always helped to push away any anxiety she had in favour of making sure her customers had as pleasant an experience as they would allow themselves to have.

She was no longer on floor duty which was fine by her. Hannah rather enjoyed the ability to lean on the bar and play counselor or friend to whomever pulled up a stool. She poured herself a small glass of wizards vodka that she could nurse between fielding orders.

(Post a new comment)

lavishly
2011-10-21 02:54 am UTC (link)

After the serious lack of sleep last night, Lavender Brown wasn't exactly keen on going home and going to bed. Even if she would have to be up early in the morning (and when didn't she need to be up early?), she was intent to avoid going home for at least a little while longer. Really there was only one place she thought of to go by herself - The Leaky Cauldron.

Despite not liking most crowds, Lavender actually liked pubs and various nightclubs that had the right kind of lighting that allowed her to hide and be social at the same time. It certainly didn't hurt that Hannah could be working and she needed her daily dish in the life of Hannah Abbott.

"Well, if it isn't Hannah Abbott, all class just waiting for me to drop into your life." She flashed the other woman a smile and sat down in the nearby open chair.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-21 03:08 am UTC (link)

Had Hannah not been on her feet all day she would likely be passed out right now. She was certain that as soon as her shift was over she would head up stairs and pass out. Whether she would be alone for the evening was yet to be seen. But that was mute, for now she had a bar full of patrons half of which needed their glasses refilled.

She finished dishing out some shots of fire whiskey to a group of men at the end of the bar when she heard the sound of a familiar voice. "Lavender," she smiled a true smile for the first time that day. "How are you holding up?" she placed a napkin on the bar before her friend.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-21 03:19 am UTC (link)

"Had a day full of sugar creations, I think I even sorted out the problem I had with the red velvet batter." Baking was totally therapeutic for her. There was solace to be found in the kitchen at Rising Loaf. She sorted through any number of things as she whisked, kneaded or poured. "And I can safely let you know that there are going to be some over the top spooktacular creations for sale tomorrow."

Of course the store had been doing Halloween themed creations pretty much for the past month, but tomorrow they were going all out. And why not?

"Although, if you're up for it, I think I would be doing a lot better with a glass of your Riesling." Because clearly wine was going to make this better and, seriously, she was in a pub, it was only fitting that she should be drinking. "And then you can fill me in on your day."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-21 03:34 am UTC (link)

Hannah listened as Lavender talked about the baking she'd done that day. Hannah could cook well enough but she never felt her desserts were up to par. "I'll definitely have to come by. I've got the day off tomorrow. I didn't want to have to rush after my shift to get ready for the gala."

She turned and summoned a glass as she reached for the bottle of Lavenders requested wine. "I went shopping with Bianca this morning and found the perfect dress," she said pouring the wine. "Will you be there tomorrow evening?" Hannah was looking forward to the evening and knowing that she'd have other friends there would help if Ernie got whisked away for work.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-21 04:16 am UTC (link)

A gala wasn't something she would normally be up for without special persuasion. However, the whole masked part had an appeal. Anything to help hide the scars was welcome and tomorrow night she might actually feel like everyone else. "I was planning on making an appearance," she said taking a sip of her wine. Maybe it would even be good for her or at least that was what she was trying to convince herself of.

"But dress shopping without me? I'm actually kind of jealous." Shopping was, not surprisingly, one of Lavender's favorite pastimes. The only tragedy was that life as a baker didn't exactly have her with a large expendable income, but what little she did have went to her wardrobe. Lavender Brown expressed her best through what she wore. In fact she even had her clothes organized by feeling rather than color or fit. "So, you'll have to make it up to me and describe your purchases in detail."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-21 08:19 pm UTC (link)

"You have to make more than an appearance," Hannah commanded. Then she leaned on the bar so that the whole group around them wouldn't know her business. "Besides, I have a feeling that even though he's off work Ernie will still spend a good amount of the evening checking on those he assigned to work the gala. So, you have to come keep me company." Then she stood and wiped the counter before waving her wand to pull the empty glasses from the bar.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "Honestly it didn't dawn on me until Monday that I still needed a dress. So, I had to go when my schedule allowed." Hannah truly did hate that Lavender had not been available to go shopping. She admired her friends eye for fashion.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-21 11:37 pm UTC (link)

"All work and no play has to make Ernie a dull boy like and seriously, you in a dress? If he's otherwise busy with work, I think I might need to intervene." While she might give advice and urge people in certain directions, Lavender didn't usually meddle. Or if she did, she certainly didn't warn of it before hand. However, this was a serious situation involving formal wear and the normal rules didn't really apply.

There were few times that she needed to actually step in to do something and really, any time that formal wear was involved, it became one of those times. And it was easier to worry about Hannah's date rather than the fact that she didn't have one. "But the least you can do it let me come over and help you get ready so that he has no excuses not to spend time with you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-22 01:03 am UTC (link)

Hannah knew Ernie wouldn't purposefully ignore her just as she knew his pull to his job was just a part of who he was. It was likely more her own insecurities that she wasn't good enough for him that made her doubt that she'd be able to keep his attention from his work.

"I could certainly use the help getting ready," Hannah agreed. She wasn't the kind to pretty up too often. Usually she wore little to no makeup, maybe a little lipstick here and there. Hannah's idea of doing her hair was typically tossing it back in a pony tail.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-22 02:22 am UTC (link)

"Fantastic!" Lavender practically beamed. There were few better things in life than getting to play dress up. And to have a willing subject, especially someone like Hannah, well, that just made it so much better. If Lavender Brown had her way, tomorrow night Hannah Abbott would be positively stunning. Not that she wasn't already pretty, but tomorrow night it was going to be so much more.

"I should be finished at the bakery by noon, although I might want to try and nap before the event, but either way, it should give us plenty of time to get ready." Her mind was already reeling with possibilities. "What time would you want me to come over? Unless you'd rather come to my place?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-22 02:50 am UTC (link)

Hannah loved seeing Lavender smile. She knew that her friend could be self conscious at times. If Lavender only realized how much her smile truly lit the place up maybe she wouldn't worry so much about the scars.

"If I get out of bed before noon I'll come by to get some of those treats," she paused to fill an order that came in from one of the tables. Hannah pondered Lavender's question about where they should meet up. "My dress is a bit much. Perhaps it would be easier to meet here." She didn't want to drag the dress all over the place. "Besides, Ern is supposed to meet me here ."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-22 03:29 am UTC (link)

"At this rate, this dress better be beyond brilliant," she said teasingly. Lavender was looking forward to see her friend's dress. "But that's fine, I can come over here. I'll just need to pack my kit and put my dress in a garment bag."

Her dress wasn't all that complicated. Lavender's love of fashion was very much all about the accessories and the shoes - especially the shoes. More than once had she spent a whole paycheck on a new pair of shoes. She always saw it as a smart investment, these days her legs seemed to be her best feature and why not show them off?

And really she just thanked Merlin that she could charm her shoes to be more comfortable than they would be normally. She couldn't imagine how muggles put up with it. "I trust you have the shoes and accessories sorted out or do I need to bring over some options too?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-22 03:49 am UTC (link)

"It's much nicer than any I've owned to this point," Hannah admitted. She'd found the dress at a muggle boutique. When Lavender mentioned shoes, Hannah realized she hadn't really thought about that part of the outfit. She had some simple black flats that she would likely wear as they would keep her feet comfortable and would be hidden by the skirt of the dress.

"I have a pair of shoes in mind, but I havn't thought of any of the other accessories." Surely she had a simple gold necklace she could wear that would not clash much with the dress.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-22 04:00 am UTC (link)

"Seriously, Hannah, what would you do without me?" It was good, it felt normal, to get to fuss over Hannah a little. It wasn't the sole reason for their friendship, but it certainly was a nice perk. Lavender liked being this person and really getting the chance to pretend that she was as she should be rather than who she was. "I'll bring over a few of my pieces and you can see what you like."

Lavender had plenty of jewelry to spare and really never minded lending pieces to her friends. Most of her jewelry just sat around her flat collecting dust save the rare occurrence she actually drummed up the energy to get really dressed up and make use of it. "Is there any general color scheme I should keep in mind?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-22 05:25 am UTC (link)

"Work constantly and never eat delicious sweets," she teased. Lavender had always said Hannah worked herself to hard. She couldn't help it though, Hannah had always taken pride in taking care of everyone around her. This often led to her neglect herself.

"I can't wait to see what you have," Hannah turned as a clean set of glasses was brought from the back. She hated using magic to put the glasses on the racks because it was often easy to break them if you one weren't careful. Therefore, she would resort to placing them up by hand. "I'm thinking gold would likely work better than silver," she stated while she worked.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lavishly
2011-10-23 03:20 pm UTC (link)

"Gold," she repeated, taking another sip of her wine. "That shouldn't be a problem at all." Although a bit more a silver person herself, she did have quite a few nice gold pieces too. She already had a few simple items in mind that would look good on Hannah regardless of the details of her dress. She was now actually looking forward to the event tomorrow night.

"Alright, I should probably let you get back to work." Lavender flashed Hannah another smile. She reached for her purse to pull out a few coins to pay for the drink. She would stay long enough to finish her drink, before leaving in search of something else to keep her busy.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

ernsthename
2011-10-23 06:31 pm UTC (link)

It had been about 9:10 PM when Ernie had managed to leave work. He was exhausted but still alert from another busy and stressful day. There would be a few things that he'd have to finish tomorrow, but apparently that was his reality. He hated it, but what he hated more right now was working more overtime than necessary. He knew that he should aim to be back sometime before 10:00 PM as he didn't want to leave Hannah on her own after last night--despite what she reported herself. He did know that she would occasionally hide her wishes for the purpose of making him feel alright.

Upon leaving work he had stopped by his place, and summoned a bag with a change of clothes and a few necessities, enough for the evening before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron.

He noticed Hannah was at the bar, and quickly and quietly made his way over, putting down his bag on the floor with a clatter. "One Firewhiskey, please," he said to catch her attention.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-23 06:46 pm UTC (link)

Since Lavender had left, Hannah had been working non-stop. It seemed that they'd gotten another rush and she'd found herself working the floor again to keep the night waitress from being overwhelmed. She had taken time during her break to send word to Ernie that she was fine and would suffice without his presence that evening if necessary. Of course, she wanted him there, but she also knew that he was more comfortable in his own bed. Besides, surely tonight would be more restful.

She had just finished clearing the last of her tables and had returned to the bar to begin her sidework in an attempt to be able to head up stairs as soon as 10:00 hit. She had just set the silverware to sorting itself when she heard a voice that was as familiar to her as her own. "Just a minute," she replied while she grabbed a set of napkins to place beside the silverware. She would have to set it to rolling itself in a few.

"How was your day?" she asked placing the glass of firewhiskey before him hoping it had been more or less typical. "It wasn't bad enough for multiple drinks?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-24 12:07 am UTC (link)

"It was alright. Just busy. Probably a bit busier than usual." Ernie wasn't completely sure of that, as he was exhausted while he actually did the work. He noticed that he did make a few mistakes in the scheduling sheet, putting a few people in different places at once. Maybe everyone just needed time turners...that seemed to be the only way to make things worked. He had chuckled to himself at the impossibility of that since the Ministry wouldn't allow for something like that even though it was meant for its own interests. He didn't blame them, really.

He took a sip of his drink, its usual burning sensation making its way down his throat. He still didn't really know at this point whether he liked Firewhiskey... It was just something that people drank, and it certainly was an acquired taste.

"How was your day, Hann?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-24 12:36 am UTC (link)

By now, Hannah was running on pure adrenaline. Of course, she had had moments during the day where she could have sat and slept. She was ever grateful for the presence of other people. As it was, the bit of time she'd spent alone between shopping and Justin's arrival had been mentally taxing.

"I don't know how you drink that stuff regularly," she commented as she watched Ernie bring the glass to his lips. Hannah never had been one to drink often and the ferocity of firewhiskey did not set well on her palate most of the time. She much preferred the milder Muggle alcohols and had been extremely excited when she'd located a wizarding family in Russia that brewed their own rendition of vodka.

"My day was pleasant enough," she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I went shopping this morning with Bianca and found the perfect dress for tomorrow night," she smiled as she imagined the look on his face when he saw her in it. She didn't think she'd ever worn anything so grand.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-24 01:45 am UTC (link)

"I'm not entirely sure as to whether I like it, but I think I'm used to it enough," Ernie said with a shrug. He supposed that it all just started out with social drinking, and then it became a means to take the edge off too, on some of the more rough days.

"Good to hear. I'm glad," Ernie said, taking another sip. He was glad since he felt bad about having to go to work this morning--he had to after seeing all those journal entries. They weren't the only ones to have experienced such a thing, and yet he hasn't heard anything about it at work.

"I'm just glad that I have something that fits," Ern said when she mentioned that she went shopping with Bianca. He had something to wear from the last event, and he wasn't one to buy something new all the time, even if he had the means to do so. He just didn't care for shopping. And besides that, he barely had the time to shop. And in any case, it didn't seem as important for wizards to be up on the latest fashions.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-24 02:17 am UTC (link)

"Then you should find a drink you like," she teased him. Of course, if it hadn't been for a bit of firewhiskey and the accompanying liquid courage they might never had admitted their feelings for each other. Hannah was rather glad that neither of them resorted to alcohol often enough to get through their issues that they found themselves needing it to have a normal day.

She looked down the bar and once again waved her wand in such a manner that all the empty glasses zoomed away into the dirty dish pail. She also noticed that the silverware had finished separating itself so she set it to rolling. She also did a quick walk of the bar and picked up the payments and tips that had been left behind when the glasses retreated. "I have stuff that fits," she commented thinking of how lucky wizards had it. Ern could easily get away with a simple black robe with just a small flair on the fringes. "I just don't think any of it was formal enough for the event."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-24 02:34 am UTC (link)

"Maybe," Ernie said, swirling what remained of the Firewhiskey before downing the rest of it. "In any case, it's done with for now." He was fairly doubtful that he'd find any alcoholic drink that would work for him as he disliked the bitterness that typically did accompany it. "Or maybe I should just order a Butterbeer the next time. But I suppose that isn't quite the same."

"Yeah--it's supposed to be quite the event," Ernie said quietly, starting to feel as if he's forgotten something. He had caught a few mistakes earlier that day, but what was unsettling was the prospect of making a few more that he didn't catch. Security for such events was typically something else to arrange. Well between that, the regular Hallowe'en and the prisoners being released...he couldn't quite see them having a break in the next while.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-24 02:57 am UTC (link)

When he set his glass down, Hannah immediately sent it to join the rest of the glasses. "I'll remember that next time regardless of what you order," she winked. Now that he had arrived, she was ready for her shift to be over. She still had to sweep behind the bar and restock the drinks so they were easy to grab by tomorrow's lunch rush. Normally, she could have ignored the later except she had already changed shifts for tomorrow with someone else. Therefore, leaving the extras undone would be highly ungrateful.

Normally, she would have swept manually while her silveware rolled, but she wanted to talk to Ernie. Leaning on the bar, rag in hand as was her habit, she gave him the look she gave many customers who spoke without sounding completely convinced of the statement they'd made. "And why do you doubt it will be everything the hype has built up?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-24 03:37 am UTC (link)

"Which would probably be another Firewhiskey," Ernie said with a smile. He wasn't really really good at trying new things, and people typically poked fun at him for things like that. One would think that a Hit Wizard would have courage, but he just wasn't typically up novelty and the "risk" associated with it.

"Oh I don't have any doubt about it being everything the hype has built up. I just am afraid of there being more--I think just about everyone in the office who has a good head on their shoulders is worried. What with-" Ernie paused, and toned down his voice and moved in to speak at more of a hush. "What with the person who managed to break into the Ministry. And I wouldn't be surprised if people wanted to play detective. I'm just worried." He stared into his empty cup and returned it to Hannah.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-24 03:51 am UTC (link)

"So, butterbeer it is," she nodded just before heading back for a moment to grab a case of bottled brew for the next day's service. When she returned, she noted that the silver was done and sent the broom to work on the floor. Then she returned to where she had been leaning on the bar.

Hannah listened intently as Ernie spoke. When he mentioned that someone had broken into the Ministry an involuntary gasp. She had kept herself so busy all day and had no chance to read the Prophet though she knew they had released a late edition that day. "Surely there are wards that can be put in place to keep guests where they are supposed to be." Then again didn't the Ministry have wards in various locations to keep undesirables out? "Where did they break in to?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-24 04:00 am UTC (link)

"Well there'd still be days that I'd need something stronger," Ernie said loudly behind her. What with this job...there were times where he thought about whether it was worthwile. He loved the responsibility and the principle of it (to protect those he loved), as well as some of the other tasks such as training and supervision of newer Hit Wizards and Witches.

"They broke into the Department of Mysteries. And obviously had met a very bad end. The boss isn't speaking very much on it, but Potter and Davies are on the case. Had to do a bit of a security detail to ensure that no one gets into that area--but that's standard procedure. Except that it's within the Ministry. To get that far into the Department is something."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

about_abbott
2011-10-24 04:18 am UTC (link)

Perhaps it was the fact that her father hadn't used a bit of alcohol to get through Jillian's death or that she watched too many people drown themselves away, either way Hannah never used it to unwind from overly stressful days. Not to say that she didn't drink, Hannah was simply more of a social drinker. "I'm sure if you let me mull it over I could find something else to help you relax." She gave a flirtatious smile as she finished the task at hand.

On that note, she realized that all her side work was done. Her customers were content and the wizard that worked the overnight shift had arrived. Placing the rag on the bar, she took one of his hands into hers and leaned across the bar. "What do you say to forgetting about work and getting out of here?"

(Reply to this) (Parent)