Zuko thinks that's rough, buddy (fireprincezuko) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-04-01 10:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, hermione granger, zuko |
Who: Zuko + Hermione
When: Tuesday 3/26
Where: Their usual coffee shop
What: Chatting like friends do
Rating/Warnings: Low
Status: Complete
Draco Malfoy was good at a great many things, and keeping Zuko somewhat calm was definitely on that list. He was a good man -- patient, forgiving, a good listening ear. Zuko was certain he loved the other man for it. But that didn’t mean he could always talk to the blond about everything -- because Draco was not unbiased. Nor was he expected to be. It was okay.
Hermione was fast becoming Zuko’s best friend, though, and she gave a good listening ear, herself. As much as he appreciated the strange double date they’d had a week or so earlier, Zuko was glad that today he’d be keeping his feet on the ground. Sometimes normalcy was very important to him.
That was probably why they kept meeting at the same coffee shop they’d met at -- the one that was so close to the library.
Hermione was running a few minutes early, so by the time that Zuko arrived, she was already in line waiting for their turn at the register. When the door chimed, alerting the cafe to his entrance, Hermione turned around and gave her friend a smile and a wave. “I haven’t ordered yet,” she said, reaching up to give him a hug in greeting as he came in.
Zuko hugged back -- in his own, not very good at hugging way. Another ritual of theirs, really. “That’s okay,” he said, mildly joking. “Neither have I.”
But then they did -- Zuko handing over money for the both of their drinks, because, well, she’d fed him and Draco the other day anyway, and that meant it was his turn.
Hermione gave him a grin at his joke. It was a good one. Then they ordered, and she got the same sugary drink that he did. She followed along with him to a table and sat down, giving a sigh as she melted into her seat.
At least she hadn’t thought to get tea she wouldn’t like this time. Zuko could only approve of that -- even if he didn’t say anything on the matter at all. “Busy week?” he asked, raising his eyebrow, even as he seated himself across from her, as per usual.
“Oh, you know.” Hermione gave a little shrug. “Singing and losing friends. It’s been a bit hectic.” She lifted the drink to sip from it. It was very, very sweet.
Zuko rose his eyebrow at that, as if prompting her to go on. The singing he was aware of -- he’d been serenaded by Draco earlier in the week -- and it had been strange, but not really bad. Sweet, he would have labeled it as. If he were the type to do that sort of thing. The other part would be news to him, though.
“I got a scolding from my friend Harry because I didn’t tell him that I ran off and eloped.” Hermione said, giving a little sigh. “He was cross with me because I’ve been a bit of a hermit. Well, he could have called me, too. The phone works both ways. I’ve just had a lot of big time life stuff come up.” She frowned a bit. “I mean, it’s no excuse. I’ve been a bad friend. But I think he went a bit overboard.”
Zuko was no stranger to the feelings of annoyance and anger -- he supposed he could see both sides to the argument there. But he was no friend of Harry (in fact, he did not know the boy), and so instantly took Hermione’s side.
Empathy did not come easy to him, but he attempted it anyway. “Being busy doesn’t make you a bad friend,” he said. “If he was so concerned about it, he should have called.” Then again, Zuko was the sort who could not talk to someone for months on end, and then just as easily pick up exactly where they’d left of before.
“Well, forgetting about friends does.” Hermione said. She was still kicking herself over losing touch with so many people when she got so wrapped up in Jim. She thought she was the kind of person who could just pick right back up again, but apparently her friendship with Harry didn’t work that way. “I shouldn’t have let so much time go by before telling him I got married.”
“Oh,” said Zuko, who saw no real difference between serious dating and marriage anyway. Well, beside a bit of paperwork, or something. “Well. Apologize?” He shrugged and sipped his coffee. He wasn’t the best person to give advice, admittedly.
“Yeah, I’m working on it. I think he’s too hot headed to return my calls right now. I tried texting, I left him messages on valarnet, we’ll see. If he wants to come around, he will. If not...” She didn’t like thinking about the if not. She didn’t like thinking about a world in which she and Harry weren’t best friends. But maybe that was where things were headed. It made her sad, but she’d cried enough over it.
Zuko seemed fairly unphased by the idea of losing a friend -- but then, he’d never had many in the first place. He knew, however, what it was like to block people out of his life completely. It was a different situation, where those who were lacking became a benefit rather than a burden, though. He gave a half shrug, lifting his coffee, but not drinking it yet. “I’m sure he’ll come around.” Optimism fit Zuko like a poorly tailored coat, but he tried it on anyway.
Hermione nodded. She was normally a bit better about being optimistic. Something about this, though, made her feel a bit... cheated. She shook her head. “So, onto new and happier things. What’s going on with you lately? Let’s change the subject to something much more upbeat.”
Was that a … joke? Zuko just gazed at Hermione for a long moment, as if trying to read her expression to see if she was fucking with him or not. He couldn’t tell. He supposed he was a little spoilt by Draco on the matter -- the blonde usually smiled or said he was joking when he was. There was very little ‘upbeat’ about the scarred Japanese boy. He was sure she had to at least know that a little bit.
Still, he tried. “Er. We’re... going on vacation, soon.”
Well, Zuko’s relationship with Draco was more upbeat than Hermione’s failing friendship with Harry. At least, she hoped it was. That’s what she assumed Zuko was going to bring up when she asked him. She nodded, leaning back a little. “Oooh, where are you going on vacation?”
“I don’t know,” the Japanese boy didn’t seem bothered by it though. It was as if he preferred not knowing. “Somewhere tropical. Draco’s taking care of it.” The two boys made a pair really, when it came to being a bit spoilt; how many other people could say they could go on a tropical vacation at the drop of a hat?
Well, to be fair, Hermione seemed to be able to go to space whenever she felt like. That had to count for something.
Hermione could go into space whenever she wanted. She was a bit spoiled, too. Only, it came to her much later in life than it came to Draco and Zuko. “I’ve always wanted to go to Chichen Itza.” She said. Maybe she’d have to convince Jim to take her there for some sort of belated honeymoon. “I know it’s not tropical, but I’d love to see it.”
Well, no. Mexico kind of was tropical in its own right. It was really hot, anyway. And there were parts of it that were pretty close to the equator, anyway. “It’s not really that far off,” Zuko mused with a shrug. “Drive there.” Because even the over-serious boy liked the idea of a road trip. It was amusingly-- well. Humble.
Hermione would probably over-use the teleporter on the Enterprise. If it was more than an hour’s drive, she wanted to beam there instead of be stuck in her car doing non-productive things. ...she thought eventually she might be able to apparate, too, but for now that was a far-off thought.
“I’ll have to wait until Spring Break, maybe. Or Summer. Some time when I’m not feeling so swamped and overwhelmed.”
“I didn’t mean this second,” Zuko said, a little blankly -- because for as much as he’d been practicing with it, his sense of humor was still poor on occasion and he took things a bit too literally.
“Well, with the Enterprise,” Hermione said, “I don’t need to take a road trip, you know? I can just... go. It turns an eight hour trip into an eight second one. If that.” She wasn’t about to over-use the Enterprise, but if she had Jim’s permission, or if he was coming along with her, then it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Yeah,” Zuko said, because, well, he knew. Even if he thought it was a little weird, still. It had been pretty cool. Still, the Japanese boy didn’t say so, but he liked the idea of being stuck in a car with Draco -- windows rolled down, and whatever music the blond liked best on the radio. No worries, just endless road. It was a bit romantic though, especially for Zuko.
“Well,” he said, a little helplessly, and shook his head, clearing the image out of his mind.
“Well, it’s obvious you’ve got something far more entertaining on your mind.” Hermione said, watching the look on Zuko’s face. She could tell when he was caught daydreaming about Draco. “I should probably head out. I’ve got so much homework to do. But we’ll have to hang out again soon. Very soon, okay?”
Zuko smiled, and it was nearly a little apologetic. Not quite though. “Sure,” he agreed - dipping his head down in a nod. “I’ll text you when we’re back from vacation. Good luck with your homework. And your friend.”
“I can’t wait to hear all about your tropical adventures!” She said, beaming at him. “Thanks, I’m sure I’m going to need it.” After that she climbed from her chair, gave him a smile and a little wave, then took off to head home.