beyond_hope (beyond_hope) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2014-02-21 21:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, hermione granger, john crichton |
Who: John and Hermione
When: Feb
Where: UCI campus
What: Random meeting
Rating/Warning: Pg/none
Status: Complete
John may have had a PhD in astrophysics, but that didn’t stop him from getting turned around in a new place. He was trying to find Sam’s lecture room to grab her for lunch and he was almost sure it was around here, but he’d be damned if he could find it.
Hermione had just come from a meeting with Sam, actually, and was headed down the hall when she saw someone who looked absolutely lost. She paused. “Can I help you?” She asked, as if she was an expert on the place.
“Oh, uh yeah,” John scratched the back of his head as he turned to the girl. “Well I hope so, I’m looking for my friend’s office but I seem to have got totally turned around. Professor Carter?”
“Professor Carter? Sure! I was just coming from there. I think you might be a bit turned around.” Hermione offered. “It’s back this way.” She added, then pointed over her shoulder. “I can show you. There are two turns.” The hallways in the building were very confusing.
“Oh, really? Are you a student of hers?” John asked following the girl. “I’m John, by the way, John Crichton,” he introduced as he fell into step beside her.
“No, I’m just a friend. She’s helping me, I recently switched majors, and she’s my husband’s friend’s girlfriend’s friend.” Hermione said, then laughed. She turned and gave him a smile. “Sounds convoluted, I know. Hermione Kirk. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She added. “So, you’re a colleague of Sam’s? Or friends?”
“Wow, that does sound...complicated,” John laughed in response. “Oh, likewise,” he smiled at her as she introduced herself. “I’m John Crichton. Friend I guess is the best way to describe us. Sam, Liz and I used to go to college together. We went our separate ways, but kept in contact, y’know, when we spoke at conferences or published papers,” he shrugged. “When I was offered a job at Cal State and saw the Sam taught nearby it seemed kind of natural to come here,” he told her.
“Actually, I make it sound more complicated than it is. She’s just a friend of a friend.” Hermione said, nodding. “Old friends. I understand that.” She said, moving through the hallway, guiding him to her friend’s office. “I’m glad that you’re able to reconnect with her.”
“Yeah, we were pretty tight back in college, Sam, Liz, me and DK,” John shrugged, smiling as random memories of that time popped up in his mind. “Good times!” he said a little louder. “Unfortunately we all had to leave college, right?” he smiled.
“DK?” Hermione asked, walking alongside him. She broke into a smile as well as he had his flashback. “Yes, we all have to eventually.” Though, she still had plenty of time left before that happened. “Some just milk it for all it’s worthwhile they can.”
"Yeah, he's my best friend, again we kind of parted ways after college but we've been friends since I was knee high to a grasshopper!" John laughed. "How about you? You're not native to these parts are you?"
“No no. Well… I was raised in England until I was ten. Then my parents moved out here. They shipped off to Australia not too long ago.” She added. “World travelling dentists, my folks.”
"Dentists? Hell, I'd be travelling to Oz too if I had that kind of money!" John joked. "Unfortunately on a professor's wage, that's not gonna happen, at least not for a while after this move," he laughed. "Why didn't you go with them then?"
“I had friends here. School here.” Hermione said, then broke into a shy smile. “I met Jim. We got married. I’m so glad that I stayed, I don’t know what my life would have been like if I’d left.” She laughed. “Now that you’ve got my whole life story…”
"Sounds like you were in the right place at the right time to settle down," John smiled as he watched her talk about her life. "And I'm sure that's not the whole story but probably more than you expected to tell someone you'd just met for the first time," he laughed.
“It just worked out perfectly.” Hermione said, giving a smile and a nod. “It happened when I was least expecting it.” They rounded a corner and the office doorway--their goal--was in sight.
"So...you're friends with Sam and Liz, you're going to have to fill me in on what they've been up to up until now," John grinned at her.
“Oh I don’t know if I can do that,” Hermione said, apologetically. “You’ll have to catch up with them! I’m afraid I haven’t been the best friend over the past few weeks. I’ve had a lot of personal garbage come up. And school, and whatnot.”
“Well I’m sorry to hear that, I hope things have settled down now,” John told her kindly, backing off a little with his enthusiasm.
“Well, here’ you go. Sam’s office.” Hermione said, motioning toward the open door with one arm. “I’m sure the two of you have a lot to catch up on.” She gave the man a smile.
"Great, thanks for showing a confused old guy to his destination," John laughed, holding out his hand to shake her hand.
“No problem.” Hermione reached forward and shook his hand. “Good to meet you, John. Say hi to Sam for me, even though I just saw her.” She added, grinning.
“Will do,” John smiled at her. “Well, thank you for taking pity on a poor, lost soul, I’ll make sure to pay it forward,” he nodded at her. “Have a great day, miss.”
“You’re very welcome. You, too!” Hermione said. She smiled, waved, and headed back toward the parking lot.