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Post by Ted Tonks on Aug 17, 2008 14:44:00 GMT -5
Ted glanced back at the two, eyebrows knitted slightly. She saw a spark? "She was talking to you the whole time, Andi. How did you feel like you were intruding?" Women, really, read far more into these stuations. Yes, Arthur was interested in Molly, or he wouldn't have started talking to her, and his butterbeer probably would have survived, but that was as far as the actual story went... in his eyes.
"Double dates..." he repeated, then laugh slightly. "Andi, they only just met."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Aug 17, 2008 16:09:24 GMT -5
Andi rolled her eyes. She didn't understand how men could be so clueless about these things. It had been obvious from the minute she walked over there that she was interrupting something. "I could just tell," she said. "There was a vibe... Arthur, in particular, really seemed to want me to go away. And did you see how quickly Molly reminded me that I was supposed to be doing something with you. She's never even met you, and instead of being curious, she just sent me on my way, so she could keep talking to him."
She put her hand on her hip and looked up at him. "But you're right... I shouldn't rush anything or assume anything. I just really want Molly to be happy... she's such a sweet girl, and Arthur's such a nice guy... they'd make a really nice couple. But I promise, I won't put any pressure on them. So why don't we get out of here and check out that movie?"
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 17, 2008 18:09:41 GMT -5
Molly had followed his gaze to the door, and knew the reason for his discomfort. An suddenly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to move to a table. It was casual now, no pressure, open. Well, who said it wouldn't be the same sitting at a table? She was just worried that it would feel a lot more one on one, and he would find out how terribly ordinary she was.
She smiled at him, finally, and nodded. "All right," she said. "He *is* watching you like a hawk," she said.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Aug 17, 2008 18:18:02 GMT -5
Ted just didn't get it. "Of course Arthur wanted us out of there. We're guys, Andi," he said with a chuckle. Well, it was true. He let it go from there. He didn't really care if Andi rushed them. He had a feeling they were both cautious, and therefore probably slow, in the relationship field. He was proud of Arthur though, for not completely freezing up when it started out terribly.
He finally let the door close behind them. "Right, there's this new action flick out... movie, sorry... and really, action movies are the only reason to see a movie in the theater. But when we get there, look at the posters, and you can pick what you want to see."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Aug 17, 2008 22:44:58 GMT -5
Andi followed him out, but she kept thinking about Molly and Arthur. Truly, if there were any two people who deserved happiness, it would have to be Molly and Arthur. Why couldn't they be happy together? But Ted was definitely right. If it was meant to happen, it would, and she shouldn't interfere. No matter how much she wanted to. Still, she resolved to send Molly an owl as soon as she got home tonight, to invite her out for some coffee and girl talk.
"An action movie... what's the difference between that and the one we watched the other night?" she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 17, 2008 22:55:18 GMT -5
Arthur glanced back at them. In truth, it wasn't the fact that Ted was watching them, it was Andromeda's gaze that made him uneasy. His past experience with girls, which was very limited, had taught him that winning over the girl's best friend was as important as winning over the girl herself. Andromeda, in particular, was such a dynamic person that she made him nervous under ordinary circumstances. Now he couldn't stop worrying that Andromeda would want to rescue her best friend from a guy she deemed unworthy of her. And he did feel that he was unworthy of her.
Molly was lovely; she had a fragile innocence about her, and a genuine kindness and warmth that was rare in most girls he knew. But he, on the other hand, felt like an awkward clod, a foolish prat with a nothing job. How could he ever be good enough for her? And why was he even thinking these kinds of thoughts about a girl he'd only just met, anyway?
He was relieved when they both left. He could breathe a little easier. "OK, then, how about that table?" he suggested, pointing at one close to the bar. This way it wouldn't feel so intimate as to make her uncomfortable.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Aug 18, 2008 21:54:03 GMT -5
"The one we watched was a drama. And action film... has... action," he trailed off, trying to come up with an answer that sounded more intelligent. "Things explode. Cars crash. People run around." He gave her a look that said yes, he knew it didn't sound fantastic. "I think you'd like one. I know of a good theater in London, if you wanted to go that far out." It didn't make sense to him now that he had left the Ministry for the Three Broomsticks, and now was more or less heading back. Oh well, thank goodness for magic. (All movies released in 1972... www.myvideostore.com/content/movies/year.html?client=myvideostore&year=1972) |
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 18, 2008 22:35:28 GMT -5
She looked at the table he indicated and nodded, taking her butterbeer in both hands. "It looks like a perfect table," she announced, as if, had he chosen the wrong table, she would have said no. Well, she might have, had he chosen one in the back. Why did he make her feel scared like that? It was a bad, think he was going to kidnap her scared, but a nervous scared. She hadn't really felt that way since her crush on the Quidditch captain in her third year.
She didn't know how to keep the conversation going, though, so she moved to the table with him in silence, figuring she'd come up with something clever to say by the time she sat down.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 18, 2008 23:11:40 GMT -5
Arthur sat down at the table and took a quick sip of his butterbeer. Now that he had her alone, without Ted as a backup or Andromeda as a distraction, he had no idea what else to say to her. But he was determined not to let this moment slip away. He'd come too far in pulling what could have been a catastrophe out of the fire. So he seized on something that he knew they had in common.
"So, how long have you known Andromeda?" he asked conversationally.
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 18, 2008 23:24:13 GMT -5
"Oh." Molly shrugged a little. "Well, since my first year at Hogwarts." She had obviously never been allowed near her cousin when they were any younger. Beng blasted off that tapestry was a big deal, after all. "She was in her third year when I started. You went to Hogwarts, right? Is that where you met Ted?"
She didn't notice it most of the time, but it was habit for her to change conversations away from herself. Sometimes, it was a self esteem issue, mostly when it came to her job, but usually it was just genuine interest in the other person.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 20, 2008 23:07:27 GMT -5
Arthur nodded. "Yeah, Ted and I met at Hogwarts," he said. "We've been friends ever since. I always go to him when I have a question about something muggle-related. See, he's muggleborn."
Why on earth were they sitting there talking about Ted and Andi? They were gone, and he could talk to her about anything. The trouble was, he was not good at talking to girls. He'd managed well enough so far--after a rocky start--but now he felt like his ideas were dwindling. They'd run through most of his topics already. Most women never made it through the discussion of his job.
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 21, 2008 4:12:54 GMT -5
"Ted's muggleborn?" She repeated, in case she had misheard. Well, when Andi rebelled, she went all out, didn't she? "I never would have guessed," she added, in case he thought she was judging his friend on his birth. She certainly wasn't.
"I think I'm ready for that second butterbeer," she said, a moment later as she finished the glass she was currently on. If they could find enough conversation to keep them going through a second drink, perhaps there was something there. "What got you so interested in muggles?" she asked. "Enough to work in the department at the Ministry?"
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 21, 2008 22:19:51 GMT -5
Arthur heard the surprise in Molly's voice. Andromeda really hadn't told her friend anything at all about Ted, had she? That was odd to him; didn't women always tell each other everything? But then, hadn't Molly mentioned that she hadn't talked to Andromeda in a while? "Yeah, Ted's muggleborn," he confirmed. "I was rather shocked that Andromeda went out with him, too, actually. A Black dating a muggleborn... she'll get herself disowned if she keeps it up." He shook his head. He'd warned Ted early on about the risk involved in dating a Black. But Ted had felt she was worth the risk. He hoped, for his friend's sake, that Andromeda felt the same way. Although Ted was a good-looking guy who could probably have just about any woman he wanted, none had quite captured his attention like Andromeda.
At the mention of a second butterbeer, Arthur waved over at a nearby barmaid. "Another butterbeer for the lady," he said. After the barmaid hurried off, he turned back to Molly. "Well, it started in London, actually," he said. "I was going to Diagon Alley, but I stopped before I got to the Leaky Cauldron to look at the muggle things in the windows. This funny little box near me started ringing, so I went over to it. It had this little tube attached to a wire, so I picked up the tube and heard this voice on the other end talking to me. I freaked out and ran off... someone later told me it was called a fellytone."
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 21, 2008 22:35:39 GMT -5
Molly bit her lip. Andromeda certainly would get disowned if her parents every found out about Ted. Suddenly, she liked the boy a lot less. Maybe he understood the risk to himself and was willing to take it, but did he know or even care what Andi would go through? And why was Andi even risking it? Besides getting herself disowned, she could, quite literally, get Ted killed. It was a bad situation all the way around.
She tried to pay attention to his story, but she was worried about her friend now. She nodded anyway, and tried to stay engaged in the conversation. "A fellytone? And it talks to you. What does it say?"
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 21, 2008 23:09:23 GMT -5
Arthur, oblivious to her concern and lack of attention, continued with his story. "Well, this one said that I had to deposit 35 cents for the next three minutes," he replied with a laugh. "I think 'cents' are muggle money, but I've always been confused about how they work. I tried sticking a sickle into the little coin slot, but it didn't fit. Anyway, I've been fascinated with muggle inventions ever since. Imagine! A box that lets you talk to people without magic or fire! Simply brilliant!"
The barmaid returned with Molly's butterbeer, and placed it in front of her. "Anyway, I've tried to examine the fellytone, to figure out how it works. It all has to do with wires or something... it's all very confusing. How do muggles think of such things?"
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 22, 2008 1:03:46 GMT -5
Molly thanked the waitress and shrugged a little. Sure, muggles were clever. She would admit that, and she would be amazed if she took the time to really analyze their inventions like Arthur did, but she never saw the need. It wasn't being elitist or snobby, she just knew that magic was all she needed.
"They may be clever," she said, "But whatever happened to just talking to someone face to face? How can you talk to someone without seeing them?" Half of talking was body language. There was an art to it. She had learned that from her mother, and couldn't really imagine understanding a conversation without seeing what the other person was doing.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 22, 2008 15:01:12 GMT -5
Arthur thought about that for a minute. It made a certain amount of sesne, actually. The fellytone thing still confused him quite a bit. Why had the woman on the other end wanted money to talk to him? He didn't even know her. And if he had put the coins in as requested, how would they travel through the wire to get to her without magic? The wire wasn't big enough to fit a coin in. "But it seems to me that muggles are very much obsessed with time, and not wasting it. They want to do everything fast... travel, communicate, even eat. I guess they just don't have the time to talk face-to-face all the time."
"I don't rightly know," he said. "Honestly, the whole thing was a big mystery to me. I still wonder about that woman on the other end, and why she was calling me for money.
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 22, 2008 16:32:44 GMT -5
That brought up another interesting question, she thought. "How did she know you were there to make the thing ring anyway? She had to see you somehow, right?"
Maybe she didn't like muggle things all that much. They didn't really make sense, though she realized she wasn't giving them a fair chance, either.
"How much is 35 cents worth?" Maybe she was interested. She certainly had a lot of questions about it, but she just wanted to understand it.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Aug 23, 2008 9:05:29 GMT -5
(I just find this conversation to be hilarious...)
"That's another good question!" Arthur said. "I thought there might be some kind of eyehole or something that I wasn't seeing, but I never could figure it out. I rather wish I'd stayed and talked to the woman, but I didn't think I could without the 35 cents. It's odd, though... Do all muggles require money before talking through the fellytone? Could I have asked her for money, too? Like maybe I should have bargained with her to a mutually agreed-upon price?"
He was suddenly having a really good time talking to this woman. Most women, when her tried to explain his fascination with muggle inventions to them, just seemed to sit there with their eyes glazed over. It was a relief that she wasn't doing this, and it encouraged him to talk to her further.
"I'm not sure what 35 cents actually equals... Their system runs differently from ours. It might be something like three sickles. I'm not in the muggle relations office, though... I think they know a bit more about muggle money."
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Post by Molly Prewett on Aug 23, 2008 23:19:47 GMT -5
(Lol it sounds like Arthur is trying to figure out how to pick up a hooker...)
The whole thing seemed odd and strange to her. "Well, if she was requiring the 35 cents to talk with you, she must have needed it... like family that borrows money." She didn't have family that borrowed money, but she'd heard about families like that. "It must be quite a substantial amount."
She wasn't seeing the same fascination that he was. She was more confused than anything, but it turned into a sort of curiosity that at least kept her engaged in the conversation. It just seemed to her like muggles made complicated things for the sake of making things complicated, and she just didn't quite see the point.
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