Jean closes the book on the third diary entry she read on the new school year. Then it dawns on her. Her date. The time. She is late. With a fast beating heart and her nerves acting up, she runs around looking for her wand and coat. How could she oversee the time? She had plenty before starting to read and now? Why did that happen. She will especially look like someone, who hasn't have her life together. This man she will be meeting soon, shouldn't know it that early. That is something to discover at least for the forth date. Definitely not the first.
She jumps on the spot when she slides her shoes on, the other hand pushing a beanie over her head. Jean almost stumbles on the floor. Where did she leave her wand? Franticly she runs around, only to find it next to the door on the counter, right where her keys are.
She stops in her tracks, taking a deep breath in and out. Yes she was late, yes she is stressed, but she isn't supposed to look completely out of her mind at arrival. Also doing spells and apparating with her mind somewhere else, can turn out really badly.
She focused on the Leaky Cauldron and feels a sharp sting in the pit of her stomach and her living room dissolves into thin circles. Soon an old building appears, an uneven path and some street light. Her vision is still a bit blurry and her body still adjusts to being pulled into nothingness.
Jean's cousin or his wife doesn't wait outside for her. She guesses they might already be inside. With every breath out, small clouds build in front of her mouth. She looks up at the stars in the sky, it is a clear night. Jean likes to believe her parents look down on her from above, laughing at every moment given. She better gives them some entertainment.
A wary step forward she gets closer to the red door and pushes it open. The leaky cauldron reeks of alcohol and greasy food. The buildings full of people, chatting happily away, dishes are clinking and some kids run around excitedly. Her eyes scan the familiar area. Unintentionally she has to think about the scenery her mother described in her diary. She sees it in front of her, having to smile.
„OI JEAN!" James Sirius waves from a table in a corner.
A few heads turn. How quickly she wishes she could vanish. She waves awkwardly back and walks through the mass of people, trying not to knock down any children.
She sees Caroline waring a beautiful knitted green dress and some ankle boots, sitting at a chair to the aisle. Her long blond hair falls shimmering on her back. James sits on the bench opposite her. His purple button up shirt a perfect match to his black hair. And then there is the third guy. He seems to be in his late thirties or early forties. He is wearing an elegant plain black sweater and wears some glasses. He has a declining brunette-ish hairline and a charming smile, to which she immediately responds.
„I'm so sorry. I got lost in doing a task and have missed the time. Usually I am more punctual than that." She pulls down her beanie and puts it on the table.
The man stands up and reaches a hand across to her. She shakes it, smiling at him. „Don't worry, we haven't waited that long yet. I'm Dean."
„I'm Jean. It's nice to meet you." She sits down, pushing her seat further to the table.
„Nice to meet you too. I'm glad it worked out, after all Caroline here told me about you. And she didn't exaggerate in her details." Dean takes a sip of his beer.
„We started to think you ditched us", James says. He pokes Jean's side teasingly.
„I actually thought about it, but more the fact that you are here," she retorts earning a chuckle form the rest of the table.
„How have you been?", asks Caroline. „How do you keep up?"
„Slowly but surely it gets going again. A lot do at work, which is keeping me occupied at the moment and luckily I know how to keep myself distracted at home. But it does get better."
YOU ARE READING
LILAC (Fred Weasley)
Fanfiction~He was red and I was blue and together we created a lilac sky~
