Disclaimer: Dude, not Harry Potter, don't worry.
Just Another Moving Day
Joel looked around his room, or what had previously been his room, and felt a strange feeling of sorrow pass through him, a feeling he never expected to feel when he escaped his parents' home. His room was now empty, only the dirty marks on the walls and floors showing the stain that something had been there before, be it his bed or his wardrobe. The walls were empty once more. His posters and pictures had all been taken down and it gave the room a feeling of loss of character, a character he hoped he might meet again at his new place. He looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly one midday, the removal agency weren't suppose to get his stuff there for anther half hour, and empty apartments had always had the ability to freak him out slightly. A girlfriend of his a while ago had told him it was his fear of being completely alone, which she said straight before leaving him, which he thought was a strange thing to do.
Lowering himself onto the floor to sit down for a minute and relax he started to think over his first week in his new job, how different it was to his time at Hogwarts. He was given new `targets' to reach every couple of days by Mr. Pettigrew, which so far were nothing more than amounts of different kinds of potions to brew, and then he went about completing them on his own initiative. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about how perfect this job was for him, doing something he was good at and without any time restraints was ideal, added to this the fact that he had just received his first pay check, a very handsome 100 Galleons and he was laughing, metaphorically anyway. When he was first given his pay check by Mr. Pettigrew he was sure it was a mistake, but having already pushed his luck a little too far with Mr. Pettigrew he decided to point it out to Sophie instead. Sophie didn't stop giggling for about half an hour, with her delightful smile on her face the whole time. He explained to her that 100 Galleons was probably more money than he had ever spent, to which she just laughed at again, telling him that he'll find a use for it. That's the reason he got the removal agency, he didn't feel like apparating back and forth with his stuff, so with this new found money he paid someone else to do it form him. He had waited around all morning for them to get there, nervous in case they were using house elves, and as a supporter of S.P.E.W he would have had to cancel it.
He spaced out slightly on the floor, trying to get a little more comfortable, when he realized that the removal company had also taken the carpet, and that he was now sitting on bare, and non smoothed, wood flooring. As he realized this, his father came bursting into the room in his usual tactic where he practically jumped out, and spent the next 30 seconds looking around the room like he expected to find a hippogriff or something.
`So you're finally doing it?' his father said, the line both a slight mix of an insult and praise.
`Yep…' he said simply, noticing his dad giving him a strange look.
`What you doing sitting on the floor, boy?' he asked in total puzzlement.
`Just resting…' he said standing up, the look of complete puzzlement on his face still evident. His father always had this look on his face when people did something he didn't do, like when Joel first started reading his Hogwarts textbooks at home his dad would stare at him trying to work out what he was doing and why. His dad had a weird way about him where he couldn't fathom anything anyone else did, Joel had learnt to never try and explain, because if his dad didn't do it then it could never be anything other than weird to him, instead he decided to change the subject to his dads favourite, peoples mistakes `Those fools at the removal agency only went and took the carpet!' he said, praising himself for his creative use of the word fool.
`What you talking about?' his father said baffled, like Joel had just been talking a different language, unsettling him.
`The carpet… it's gone?' he said unsure, his father though only carried on looking at him in puzzlement.
`Of course they didn't!' he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world `I sold it, got 2 Galleons for it as well!' he explained like everyone knew he had done this..
`You sold my carpet?' he asked in shock, thinking how bad a price 2 Galleons was.
`I sold my carpet to old Mundungus, he seemed to have a use for it' he said shaking his head at his sons' stupidity for not knowing this.
`Oh…' he said `How is old Mundungus?'
`Same old two bit thief!' his father said annoyed, turning and walking through the door carrying on with his tirade like he was still talking to someone `That dirty thief will get what's coming to…' but Joel couldn't hear the rest of it as he looked at his watch, he realized his things should be there by now. He looked around trying to check he remembered everything. He had everything moved. He had said goodbye to his mother. He had just said farewell to his father. That was it, he concluded, slightly depressed that his life held no other real ties, no long tearful farewells with a girl, no joking last drink with any friends, just moving his stuff and hearing his father moan about Mundungus Fletcher. And with a happy heart for leaving this place, he apparated to his new home.
He immediately felt someone throw themselves at him and pull him into a hug, he could tell by the blonde hair in his eyes that it was Sophie.
`Happy moving day!' she said brightly disengaging herself from the hug and throwing herself down onto a chair which sat by a small dinner table, just big enough for two people. Joel looked at this for a moment before he realized what it was.
`That's not mine!' he said `They must of delivered the wrong stuff!' he said looking around, but everything else seemed to be his, and it was all arranged nicely. In fact it was arranged better than he could of done it himself.
`It's my present, silly!' she said shaking her head and laughing. Joel paused for a moment to think this over and why it felt so weird, but then again he never had had a good enough friend to get him a present before, not even for his birthday. Remembering his present of an interview at the Nimbus Factory he had gotten from his dad for his 16th birthday he gave a sigh before leaving his memories behind him and focusing on the present. He walked over to Sophie and gave her a little hug, he was now genuinely happy.
`Thanks Sophie, this is great!' he said giving her a small smile, which she seemed to blush slightly at.
`I got here early with it, so I rearranged everything as they had left it in a terrible mess, do you like it?' she said eagerly looking around at what she had done. He looked around the living room and saw that she had put in his desk and some pictures, nicer ones, so he assumed that his bed and Puddlemere posters were in his bedroom. It looked great, although he only just started to realize how little amount of stuff he had.
`It's great!' he said smiling again.
`And in exchange for my expert help I demand a cup of coffee!' she said cheekily sitting down at the table in mock anticipation. Joel smiled and went of to the kitchen, where the point of how much stuff he had was really hit home. He had bought two cups and a kettle last week on lunch with Sophie, and that was all he had in here. He knew he would have to spend the day shopping as not as many places were open on a Sunday, and next week he had work.
`Sophie, do you fancy some shopping as afternoon?' he yelled from the kitchen, he heard as she practically squealed her response, a very excited yes. He finished making the coffee clearing up what he spilt and went into the living room to see Sophie already dressed with her shoes on, bobbing up and down in excitement, obviously ready to go.
`What about the Coffee?' Joel said and with one wave of her wand the cups were empty and Sophie had grabbed them out his hands, put them on the table and began to lead him out of the flat by his arm.
`That Coffee was superb' she joked, leading him out into the street, a pleasant looking road with little white house followed by little white house. The roads were immaculate and he was happy to have found such nice accommodation. `That's my flat, just there…' she said pointing at one across the street. Joel was shocked, he didn't know they'd be living so close to each other.
`You didn't tell me you lived across the road?' he said puzzled.
`You didn't ask' she said shrugging leading him down the road `Ok, so we head for Diagon Alley first to look around then get some muggle money at Gringotts. Then, although I hate to admit it, the muggles have some great clothes shops, so we'll go to Chelsea and hit GAP, Mac Cosmetics and some other places, ok?' she said all of this incredible fast, and Joel could tell that the Ok at the end was a pleasantry and no matter what he thought, they were going to do this. Joel chuckled to himself looking at the feverish excitement in Sophie's eyes at the prospect of a days worth of shopping. Today was going to be a long one.
*
`I can't believe that we got all of this stuff! And the sale at FCUK!' she practically screamed as she pushed her way past him into the living room, throwing herself down onto the chair in dramatic fashion while Joel struggled over the threshold carrying all the various outfits and shoes that Sophie had just had to have.
`I can't believe you needed all off this stuff in the first place' Joel said putting down the last of the bags, this one with the FCUK logo spattered across it, which he couldn't for the life of him remember what stood for.
`I don't need this stuff' she said rolling her eyes in dramatic contempt `I desire them' she finished simply, a brightness shining in her eyes.
`If you desire anything more I'm sure you're gonna need another flat' Joel said sitting down on the chair opposite him looking about his new home, which somehow didn't quite feel like a home yet. He fidgeted slightly, trying to get comfortable after a very long and even more tiring day shopping.
`You are so hopelessly male' she said sighing before adding teasingly `Actually your not. Your something completely different, like some alien thingy that has only taken a few lessons on how people are suppose to act, and tried to bluff through the rest'
`I'd love to argue but having no idea what the difference between any of the shoes you bought today other than there colour, I don't think I have much of one' he said, picking out a can of Dr. Pepper from a bag of groceries he had bought on the way back.
`Don't worry, that's the male lessons you've been to reaping rewards' she said looking around the apartment. Joel was wondering if he should actually try the Dr. Pepper or not as he remembered the advert he had seen on his first and only visit to a muggle cinema. And he remembered how badly everything in that evening had gone and as he stared at his new can he couldn't help wonder if this carried the curse of that evening.
`What you thinking?' Sophie asked curiously, giving Joel a suspicious eye, ever the Slytherin girl Joel thought.
`Nothing' Joel said shrugging, he didn't think that this thought was particularly the right thing to say at this moment.
`Go on! You've got me curious now, so not to tell would be you deliberately pissing me off, and that isn't very nice at all!' she said in a rush of words like she was telling of a toddler. Joel sighed, thought for a moment and decided that he probably wouldn't be able to get away with not saying now.
`Fine, I was remembering this terrible time I once had at a muggle cinema' he said in a resigned voice.
`A muggle cinema! Sounds terrible' she said in what Joel believed to be mock disgust, unless she really hated the cinema for some reason `What were you doing there?'
`Surprisingly I was watching a film!' Joel teased, but by the look in Sophie's eyes he knew he'd have to answer properly `I was on a date'
`Oooh, a date? You trying to make me jealous?' she teased making Joel laugh.
`You asked, I only answered' Joel said normally, while Sophie stared at him for a few moments with such intent that he could practically see the cogs going round inside her head.
`So why were you thinking about a date with some skank while sitting with me?' she said curiously, Joel however thought calling his old date a skank was a little harsh.
`Don't know why, really' he said thinking over her comment and just having to ask `Why did you call her a skank?'
`I'm guessing it wasn't you who decided to go to a muggle cinema, thus she's a skank' she said factually.
`God, you really do hate the cinema don't you?' he said in surprise which made Sophie let out a loud laugh.
`Oh, the Cinema, I just hate the cinema' he couldn't quite work out why she said the word cinema in such a strange way, but decided he didn't need to know why, just letting her talk was enough for him. He watched as her face got all serious, her green eyes seeming to bore into him as she thought before she let out a light laugh `So what film did you see on your date?'
`Um…' Joel was searching frantically through his mind but couldn't seem to find the answer `Can't remember…Anyway, it was about a spy who took on the Russians and saved the day with loads of gadgets… she had gotten me addicted to the books, but I didn't think as much of the film itself…' he explained, remembering the good parts of the films, especially when the badguy explains his whole plan to the hero, then the hero manages to escape brilliantly before using the information to take them down.
`You know what?' she asked giving him a wide eyed look of expectation. Joel waited for her to carry on before realising she actually wanted an answer.
`No. I don't know what' Joel said chuckling as Sophie carried on with whatever she was saying.
`I've actually never seen a film before!' she whispered, like somehow what she was saying was a sin in some way.
`How come?' Joel asked curiously.
`Well, I've never really been in the muggle world before, you know? My parents…my family didn't like the idea of mixing with them so I've never done it… I only learnt about the muggle clothes from a girl in my Herbology class last year who came back from holiday with loads of this stuff' she explained sighing a little and looking towards the window and the wet night outside.
`I can't believe that!' Joel exclaimed, making Sophie look at her in amazement `I take the fact that you were in Slytherin and add it to what you say about your family and I am so surprised about what job you chose!' Joel exclaimed feeling prideful about what she had already battled against in her life. Sophie, however, was staring at Joel, stock still and with eyes wide open in total shock. Joel felt uncomfortable as a few moments, which felt like hours, passed without her moving, Joel was worried he had insulted her somehow but felt relieved as she let out the loudest laugh he had ever heard from her which lasted for a good thirty seconds.
`So surprising!' she said while trying to stop herself from laughing, wiping at her eyes to stop tears from forming `Joel, you really are a riot, you know that!' Joel didn't know that he was a `riot', in fact seeing as he didn't know what he had said that was funny felt the exact opposite. He knew enough to say that being unknowingly funny wasn't ideal.
`I try' Joel said honestly, searching for anything to say in this situation and almost cheering as Sophie started to regain control of herself.
`So what do we do now?' Sophie asked, looking at Joel with a searching look in her eyes.
`Well…' Joel started thinking about something to do `it's getting late…so maybe we should call it a day so we can hit London again tomorrow?' Sophie eyes darted away from him for a moment before shooting back to him with a smile attached.
`That sounds a great idea' she said standing up suddenly, and waving her wand at her bags to make them disappear, which Joel assumed must have reappeared at her place `Well…I'll be going now' she said, looking out toward the window. Joel stood up to say goodbye properly.
`I've put the wards down for you, so you can come over whenever' he said, feeling a little awkward for standing up and having nothing to do.
`Thanks' she said simply flashing him a smile `What time shall I come round tomorrow?'
`How about I come round yours?' he asked, wondering what her place looked like, but Sophie had started chuckling and shaking her head back and forth.
`No no no no no!' she said, shaking her head to reiterate the point even more `Gentleman cannot see ladies room!' she said teasing.
`Ok, Lady Wolfe' Joel joked falling into a curtsy `What time will me Lady be appearing tomorrow?'
`I think for afternoon lunch' she said in an imitation at royalty while sucking up her lip to make her seem important, before breaking into a smile and throwing herself Joel's arms and giving him a huge hug. Joel felt the warmth of her being in his arms, and how perfect this moment felt. His parents had never been big on hugging, and as a consequence Joel had never been able to give a hug before, other than a few others with Sophie. He had dated girls for several months without having a hug anywhere as intimate as the one she gave him now. And before his thoughts could dwell anymore he heard a crack in his ears, and felt the lack of her body in his arms, both telling him Sophie had disapparated home.
*
So that's chapter 3. Hoped you liked it. I know it's been a while but I kept on leaving it so I could get a few more `reads'. I set a target of a thousand for chapter one (which is usually a pathetically easy target to reach!) and haven't even got 700 so far! So I will be posting from now on according to if you people who actually read it like it. So please review and tell me what you think.
Hoping you enjoyed it.
Expect a familiar face to make an appearance soon.
Jms Granger
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