Shopping in Groups? ((Ernie))

[Hannah Abbott MacMillan]

“Hannah hurry up! We will be late. That Ernie is such a nice prompt boy – we don’t want to keep him waiting.” Karen Abbott called up the stairs to her daughter who was rushing about madly. “On my way Mummy. Just give me a quick…” Hannah yelled back, trailing off as she bite a hair elastic to pull he left side of her hair into a pigtail. When her hair was perfect – just as she used to wear it back in second year – she went over to her bed and gave Piglet a quick hug before thumping down the steps to the kitchen where her mother was waiting.

“You ready dear? Good, good into the fire with you now. Quickly the floo powder is on top of the mantel.” Karen said gesturing to what appeared to be a flowerpot filled with an odd dust and no flowers. It was one of the few things that separated the Abbott residence from any other muggle home. Hannah was in fact the only muggle in her family for all of living memory – so you can tell how shocked she had been to get her Hogwarts letter and discover this world she never knew. Hannah was lucky though – she had a very supportive family backing her. In fact Hannah and her mother were often mistaken as sisters rather than mother daughter just because of how evident their relaxed relationship was.

Hannah arrived slightly dizzy in The Leaky Cauldron and her mother followed shortly after looking quite disoriented. She usually avoided using the floo network but in these days she understood the faster you get to your destination and back home the better. They had even arranged to arrive at the near empty pub two minutes before Ernie so that he would not have to be alone even for a minute. Hannah walked up to the counter and ordered three glasses of pumpkin juice before taking a seat at the table her mother had chosen – each taking a drink and saving the final for Ernie who was to arrive any moment.

[ernie]

Ernie was sitting on the rather large sofa in the MacMillian living room going over his list of necessary idems for the third time. Most people never made lists, and ever fewer bothered to check then. He though, checked three times and he had yet to every forget anything when he made a shopping trip. He glanced up at the clock to see that he had one minute before he was to meet Hannah and her mother in the Leaky Cauldron. One minute was exactly the right amount of time. He rose from his seat and straightened the pillows on the sofa, which was set in the middle of the immaculate living room facing the fire place. He then proceeded to the mantle and took the proper amount of floo power, and after pausing for a moment to adjust his shirt with his free hand he was off.

He stepped from the fire place as the clock on the wall stuck exactly the time he had told the Abbott's he would meet them and he proceeded immediately toward the counter. He spotted Hannah's pig tales the moment he arrived. No one had pigtails like Hannah, and he rather liked them on her.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Abbott," he said moving so that he stood beside Hannah and he reached for the glass he knew was for him "And of course Hannah. Thank your for the pumpkin juice, and of course for letting me join you. I'm sure you are aware of what a fret my mother has been in. She just could not get out of work this week and she has been so worried about letting me shop alone with the current state of things."