Two for Tea - Janni

[Idun Caird]

The patter of heels clicked against the silver like wet pavement while the furs on miss Idun Caird’s hand muff got awfully ruffled in the anything-but-gentle autumn winds. Most women would be inside during theses kind of weathers. The leafs whirled around and she could hear other brave men and women complain when the small wet things hit them in the face and landed on their 'oh so expensive' cape. Unfortunately Idun did not have the common sense that most people could claim. She was awfully fond of this particular part of the year. The flora mixing in splendid colours of red brown yellow and green.

Reticule in one hand and a book under the other she scurried along High Street. Crossing back and forth to keep up her hurried pace. She had just been at the old book store down the street and had found the most marvellous example of history on the old ruins that lay only an half an hour drive from the town. It could not compare to the books she had found on muggle history in London, but it would be a great companion later that evening.

Her small glasses perched on their usual place began catching small droplets of rain, and she realised that the weather was going to have a tantrum once more. She hurried into Rosa Lee Teabag so that her clothes would not get wet. She could not stand the smell of wet wool. The bell kept ringing for it seamed that she was not the only one in search of cover when the skies slowly opened up out on the street.

  

[Lilly Avery]

Lilly was feeling grateful for being back in Hogsmeade, even though she had been back for around a month, ever since the town had been opened again after the quarantine. She was grateful to Anne for having her the entire summer, she was grateful for Rhett for not hating her after everything they had been through, she was grateful for her father for helping Rhett after the fire and she was just grateful for being happy and safe. As much as she loved being back, then she needed to get out of the houe - Rhett had been insisting on them spending time together to make up for the summer, but he needed to work and she needed to get some fresh air.

As such she walked out in the october day, wanting to take a stroll down the high street. She carried Ari, the gray cat was almost walking with her everywhere, but she knew that eventually she could not take him with her everywhere. She was pregnant, and even Ari could feel that his owner was alive in a different way. So when the rain began to fall down, she quickly went inside the nearest shop, which was Rosa Lee Teabag - and gently scratched the gray cat. She looked at the people just inside the door and smiled when she recognized her old friend Idun Caird. They had not talked in what felt like years. "Miss Caird?" she asked, just to be sure. Ari was on one arm, and Lilly truly hoped that she could find a place where she could sit and get a warm cup of tea.

  

[Idun Caird]

She had somehow claimed one of the small tables as her own. She did have mostly annoying tastes for sweets and the small patisserie she was in at the moment had what she would call 'a most excellent lemon tart' which she was sure was going to tighten her bodies quiet a lot, since she mostly went for the largest ones on display. Her red hair had gone incredibly unruly because of the humid air but. She was immensely great full for the smell of tea and cakes since she knew that the small space otherwise most surly would have smelt the think wet-wool air.

She had put down the small book she had managed to save byt hiding it under her coat on the small iron wrought table when she heard her name being used by what seamed like a women. She turned her be-speckeld gaze towards the voice and smiled her teeth smile when she saw her dearest friend, Lilly Avery and what seamed to be a small grey fuzz-ball in her hands

"Mrs. Avery, what a pleasure. Sit down, sit down dear! Not shall you stand while people of my standing sit!" She made a motion towards the other side of the table on the comfortable chair that stood there. She was so happy to see her old friend from Hogwarts that she could barely contain herself. "I must say, what lovely weather we have!" The small grey bundle meowed and Idun's eyes averted down on it only to be dragged away when a nice looking girl came towards them, ready to take their orders.

[Lilly Avery]

Lilly was usually not concerned about class or blood - she was a halfblood herself, and when it came to class, then she knew from experince that there were lots of good people, especially in the middle class, that she would rather spend time with than some of the upper-class women of her age who seemed more concerned about reputation and money than personality. She knew that personally she had a personallity that was not always the easiest to accept and agree with, but she knew how to hide it so no one got angry at her.

So when she saw that she had been right in her first thought, she carefully walked to the small table and sat opposite her friend. "Miss Caird, you know just as well as I, that you are just as important as I am." she said with a smile. "We should be used to the weather by now - seven years at Hogwarts, and I have lived in Hogsmeade since." she said with a smile. They may not be able to see the castle from the main part of the city, but they new it was right there - not far from the town.

"I will just have a cup of tea," she quickly ordered. Sitting down, she placed Ari on her lap, and he quickly curled up and just looked around. The persian gray cat truly was Lilly's little eagle.

  

[Idun Caird]

Idun happily engrossed in her lemon tart - She was not the most elegant intake of food - but she did not care for she knew hoe delicious the lemony sting would feel against her red rooibos tea. She knew that her dear friend was not one to think much of blood and class, but she could not help herself saying these things as a protection because of the many times she had been scuffed around because of her heritage. She felt truly blessed to have a friend in Lilly. She nudged her lips upwards showing a toothy, quiet un-ladylike but dreamy smile.

"You are right, and In do think that this autumn will be especially beautiful, have you not seen the way the trees are turning. The colors are so vivid, do you not agree, my dear?" She nodded, causing her glasses to fall down her nose creating a quiet matronly appearance. She watched with draped eyes while the shopgirl came with Mrs. Averys tea and sat it down in front of her.

"It was ages since we last spoke! Did you flee the town when the.. well, you know, came?" She stopped in her tracks, feeling a small knot build in her throaty, no matter how much she wanted to be rational about the events that had occurred during the summer she could not help but feel empathic towards every single man and woman lost. She was to much of a romantiker to not feel the pain of others.

In fact, she had sat many an evening and written down her feelings, trying to cope with the loss. The darkness which had been draped over the town, and only to flee to her parents in their country house on the orders of her father. For once she had actually agreed with him.[/list]

  

[Lilly Avery]

As much as Lilly was brought up to be a lady, then she could not help but admire the wonder of people feeling safe enough to be themselves. Thinking back on the letters she and Rhett had shared during the summer, she smiled to herself and felt once again assured that she was allowed to be herself, at least some time - at least at home with her darling husband.

Class had never been much of a worry - as Lilly had spend some time (though not for over a year) wandering the streets on her own in lower-class dresses in order to feel at least a few minutes free from being judged as harshly as she sometime did being an upper-class lady. And as she knew that there was mostly good people surrounding her - even those she did not knew. "I think it will be, despite how hard this summer had been on everyone." she responded softly. She carefully added a little bit of sugar to her tea, before she carefully lifted it to take a sip.

"It has been far too long. I was lucky enough to be offered a way out - a friend of mine offered both me and my husband safety during the summer, but while I went, then my husband still had to work. Being a healer he had a responsibility to the rest of the society, but he survived." she said with a sigh. She was not sure what she would have done if Rhett had died, especially not now that she was pregnant. She did not wanted to be pregnant, and a mother in mourning over her husband. "What about yourself?" she asked curious and hopeful that her friend had been safe.

  

[Idun Caird]

She twisted a strand of her damp hair between her fingers. She had been lucky, none of her daily lived in Hogsmeade, but her inability to help had created a void of darkness for her life, which had only gotten darker since she had gone away to her parents. She had lost friends, people she was used to see walking on the streets would no longer walk them with her.

"I was lucky, My father sent for me and Auntie before the worst arrived." She bit her lower lip. Her hands continued to twist the little strand back and forth like a therapeutic motion which would make her seam okay. "Well, I understand your husbands sense of honor. He must be a wonderful man, I am so happy for you!" Sipping on the last of the tea she smiled softly.

"Now, what you say to leaving the summer behind? Do you have any interesting news for me, for you see, because of my disposition I never really know whats going on until everyone else know as well." Deciding that it was enough talk of sorrow and loss she changed the subject.

  

[Lilly Avery]

She smiled softly and scratched Ari gently. The cat had long ago gotten used to just lying still on her lap while she did something, be it talking or reading or embrodering. "I am very grateful for him, and speding the majority of the summer apart made me realize just how much I really care for him. I had never imagine I would be married so happily as I am. I hardly deserve him." she said and blushed quite shyly.

When she asked if there were some interesting news, Lilly could only think of her main secret - or the good of her main secrets, which there really was no reason to keep secret, except that Lilly saw no reason to tell everyone about it. "Interesting, and good news, though for once you are not the last to find out. Only Miss Fontaine, my husband and my parents knows this. I am carrying my first child." she said and quickly hid by taking a sip of her tea.