May 17th, 1985
Ronnie was just coming off of her night shift at St. Mungo's and decided to pop into the cafe around the corner to grab some breakfast before she headed home, as she was starving and didn't really have much food back at her flat (she'd been putting off grocery shopping as long as she could stretch it). Originally having the intent to get her order to go, she decided to eat in when she noticed a couple sitting at a table in the corner and made her way over to join them. "Well well, fancy seeing you here," she greeted Lachlan, grinning.
Suppressing a groan at having his time with Emmaleigh interrupted, Lachlan forced himself to send his friend a smile. "Good morning, Ronnie."
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "Everywhere else is full, d'you mind if I join you?"
"I know you," Emmaleigh said, trying to place the girl in front of her as she ran her fingers through her hair and scooted slightly away from Lachlan. "Where do I know you from?"
Ronnie grinned as she borrowed an empty chair for the next table over. "I gave you his address, remember? You're welcome, by the way."
"Oh! It is you," Emmaleigh grinned. "Yeah, thank you for that."
"No problem!" Ronnie said easily. "Anytime you need a little dirt to get our favourite Healer out into the big, wide world-" she briefly wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "-I'm your girl!"
Lachlan faceplanted a little. "Is this really necessary?"
"Absolutely!"
Emmaleigh giggled. "I think I like her," she told Lachlan.
"That's what I was afraid of," he said, sighing a little.
Ronnie just grinned. "I'm like his annoying older sister that just won't leave well enough alone. He loves it, but he's just in denial," she said to Emmaleigh.
Emmaleigh sipped her coffee and glanced at Lachlan. "You do sort of owe her."
"And she's not going to let me forget it, are you?" Lachlan said wryly, looking to Ronnie.
"Clearly not," she said, laughing.
"So I guess you know all kinds of embarrassing stories about him?" Emmaleigh asked, squeezing his leg under the table.
Lachlan hadn't been expecting that, and tried to mask his surprise with a cough.
"Embarrassing stories since nineteen-eighty," Ronnie confirmed, still grinning. "Sadly, I was not overly acquainted with our Healer friend while we were both still in Hogwarts."
"Sounds like you and I should talk sometime," Emmaleigh teased.
Ronnie had to laugh. "Add in a drink or two and it sounds perfect."
"But you're really busy," Lachlan told her. "Between work and your music- aren't you always complaining that you wished there were more hours in a day just so you could get everything done that you need to do?"
Ronnie waved a hand at him and paused as a waiter placed her order in front of her. "True, but I can always make exceptions when it comes to your well-being!"
"Music?" Emmaleigh asked, trying not to think about Heathcote.
"Essentially my other life," Ronnie explained. "I'm the drummer in a Muggle band... We mostly stick to London these days and just play for fun as all of us have other jobs. If Muggles ask, I'm a nurse!"
"A drummer?" Emmaleigh looked surprised. "That's brilliant."
"I know, right?" Ronnie was grinning again. "I love it, especially since I don't see many female drummers on the go. I can also play the guitar, but that usually means I have to try and sing and I'm way more comfortable with drumsticks than a guitar pick!"
"Both are pretty great," Emmaleigh told her, sipping her coffee again.
"You love the whole live band thing," Lachlan added. "Maybe one of these days we could-"
"Yeah, you should totally come and see me play one of these days!" Ronnie interrupted him. "We kind of play all over the place -both in terms of location and type of music- but if you're okay with that, it should be fun!"
"That does sound fun," Emmaleigh said, hoping that it wouldn't make her think too much of Heathcote.
"We'll keep it in mind, for sure," Lachlan agreed.
"If he can ever get a night off," Emmaleigh teased.
"Hence the breakfast meeting today," Ronnie realised. "Aha, I see how it goes."
"Trust me, I wouldn't be up right now unless it was Quidditch," she replied with a smile.
"Lachlan told me you play for the Harpies," Ronnie told her. "Good on you."
"Thanks," Emmaleigh said. "I'm just a reserve, but it's absolutely brilliant."
"Hey, you're still part of the team!" Ronnie told her.
"And the calendar," she smirked.
"Naturally," Ronnie said, laughing. What month-"
"February," Lachlan said immediately, and then promptly took a big gulp of coffee.
Emmaleigh laughed. "Someone bought themselves a calendar."
"Well yeah," he eventually managed.
"Really?"
"It might be nice, but you have the real thing in front of you," Ronnie teased him.
Emmaleigh giggled and squeezed his leg again. "It's okay, I'm not always around!"
Ronnie nodded. "Very true, and I just interrupted your time didn't I?"
"So why are you here, then?" Lachlan asked.
"To torture you, of course!"
"He'll live," Emmaleigh said, winking at Lachlan.
"Barely," he muttered, blushing a little.
Emmaleigh kissed his cheek. "Maybe a bit more than barely," she teased him.
Ronnie just watched in amusement, as it had been a long time since Lachlan was this interested in a girl. "You're going to have to switch a couple of your shifts around," she said.
"Believe me, I'm trying," Lachlan replied.
"He is," Emmaleigh agreed, squeezing his leg again.
Out of Ronnie's sight, Lachlan hesitantly placed his hand over hers. "But you know firsthand how difficult that is," he said.
Ronnie nodded. "Day shifts are like prizes. Everyone wants them."
"I never realised how precious nights were until now," Emmaleigh said.
"All a matter of perspective," Ronnie said, grinning.
"Apparently!" Emmaleigh replied with a smile.
"Well, I'd switch a couple of shifts around if we, you know, actually had the same job," Ronnie teased Lachlan.
"...Hmm?" he asked, and reddened slightly when he realised he hadn't been paying attention.
"Never mind," Ronnie told him, giggling.
"Someone needs sleep," Emmaleigh teased, turning her hand over under the table and lacing her fingers with his.
"Someone definitely needs sleep," Lachlan admitted. "These fourteen hour shifts are brutal."
"I can't believe you're drinking coffee right now," Emmaleigh told him.
"Force of habit," Lachlan admitted. "I don't even realise I'm doing it half the time... But this place has excellent coffee."
"Will you actually be able to sleep after that?" Emmaleigh asked.
"Not if he doesn't go home alone," Ronnie answered for him, grinning.
Emmaleigh grinned, despite a blush. "I have practice this afternoon, so he just might have to."
"Well, that's this afternoon," Ronnie stressed. "Plenty of time before then!"
"Do you have no shame?" Lachlan asked her. "None at all?"
Ronnie reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "I just want you to be happy," she said, trying to keep a straight face.
Emmaleigh squeezed his hand. "How much have you told her?" She asked, looking amused.
"I didn't actually have to say much of anything," he said, making a face. "She just guessed..."
"What gave it away?" Emmaleigh asked Ronnie with a smile.
"That first day -the day I gave you his address- he came to work with this really hilarious kind of glazed look on his face and he was all distracted and considering that's really abnormal behaviour for him, I just knew something fun had happened!" Ronnie told her.
"Thank Merlin I didn't actually have any patients to deal with," Lachlan muttered.
"You should have owled in like I told you!" Emmaleigh nudged him.
"In hindsight, yeah, I probably should have," Lachlan admitted.
"You should listen to me," she grinned at him.
"Make a note of it for next time," Ronnie added.
"Oh trust me, I will!"
"You bet you will," Emmaleigh smirked.
"Thank Merlin there will be a next time for him," Ronnie said, giggling.
Emmaleigh felt a little awkward. "At least one!"
"More than that if luck goes my way," Lachlan murmured to her.
Emmaleigh smiled for him and squeezed his hand. "So just how long had it been for our Healer?" She asked Ronnie, looking amused.
"Oh, months," Ronnie replied. "Easily."
Lachlan winced. "Ronnie. Seriously, must you tell my life story to everyone?"
Ronnie shrugged. "No, just to girls you're interested in," she replied, nudging him.
He faceplanted. "No wonder it's been months, then, if you get a hold of them. You bloody scare them away!"
"No wonder you're making up for lost time MacScottish," Emmaleigh teased him.
"What did you just call him?" Ronnie asked, grinning again. "Is that a nickname?"
"MacScottish?" Emmaleigh asked.
"It's a play off of my-" But Lachlan was interrupted again.
"Your last name, I know," Ronnie replied. "It’s cute!"
"I was a little drunk when we first met," Emmaleigh excused.
"No judgment from me, I promise," Ronnie assured her.
"So he's MacScottish!" Emmaleigh replied.
"Don't you dare try and use it," Lachlan told Ronnie.
"Why not? It's brilliant, I wish I'd thought of it first!"
"He doesn't like me using it either," Emmaleigh told her.
"Hey, I didn't say that-" Lachlan began.
"Oh yeah?"
"I just said that it's not completely necessary-"
"Oh sod off," Ronnie said, grinning. "You like it but won't admit it! Typical."
Emmaleigh laughed. "You are sort of like an older sister, aren't you?"
"And proud of it!"
"I warned you, didn't I?" Lachlan said, shaking his head. But he enjoyed their banter, and they both knew it.
"You did, but I thought you were joking," Emmaleigh replied as she sipped her coffee.
"Well, now you see that I clearly wasn't!"
"And I definitely know now that I can find out everything I want to know about you!" Emmaleigh teased him.
"Which is exactly what I'm afraid of," he said, sighing.
"Scared of me finding out your deep dark secrets?" Emmaleigh teased again.
"Uh, pretty much," Lachlan told her. He was also scared that he was getting in way over his head with her.
"Especially if you add a couple of drinks to the mix," Ronnie said, grinning.
"Which of course are practically required," Emmaleigh agreed.
"Yeah, we're definitely going to have to have a little chat, and soon," Ronnie decided.
"Count on it," Emmaleigh said with a smile.
"Merlin help me," Lachlan muttered, looking to the ceiling.
"Poor you," Emmaleigh said with mock sympathy.
"Just don't believe everything you hear."
.
"What's the fun in that?" she asked him.
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Lachlan replied, not saying anything more.
"Is he always nervous?" Emmaleigh asked Ronnie.
"He is when he's trying to impress a girl he likes," Ronnie answered, grinning. "I'm assuming you've seen him so?"
"I think I have...once or twice!"
"Oh, it was more than once or twice," Lachlan admitted, starting to turn red again.
"You're blushing!" Emmaleigh nudged him.
Ronnie started to laugh again. "He's going to have to work on that."
"Think you can?" Emmaleigh asked, squeezing his hand again.
"I'll certainly try," Lachlan told her.
"It is kind of cute," she told him.
He laughed. "Not quite what I was going for, but thanks, I guess?"
"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully.
Ronnie finished her coffee. "As fun as this has been, I should probably be going... Some of us have to work again tonight and sleep needs to happen!"
"Yeah, don't remind me," Lachlan said.
"It was nice meeting you," Emmaleigh said.
"Formally, at least," Ronnie told her, grinning. "Hopefully I'll be seeing much more of you!"
"Get out, we'll talk to you later," Lachlan added, gently nudging her away. "And I'll see you back at work tonight."
"Okay okay!" Ronnie waved to them before she headed to the exit.
"She's fun," Emmaleigh said, moving closer to him again.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Lachlan replied. "I find her a little overwhelming at times, but you seemed to hold your own."
"Only because I'm new and she's enjoying torturing you more than me," Emmaleigh replied.
"In a room full of people she will always enjoy torturing me above anyone else," Lachlan said wryly as he finished what was left of his coffee.
"I wonder why?" Emmaleigh asked, finishing off her own coffee.
"I'm an easy target, I know that."
"You are," she agreed, kissing his cheek.
"But, uh, she did have a point in saying that it's still just morning and you don't have practice until the afternoon-"
She giggled. "Need some help getting to bed?"
"Yeah, today I think I do..."
"Maybe you shouldn't have had that coffee," Emmaleigh teased.
"Maybe not, if it's going to cut into my time with you today-"
"We'll, it might keep you more awake," she told him.
Lachlan rummaged around in his pockets to find some coins to cover their drinks and food. "Oh, I'm plenty awake now, trust me."
"You don't have to pay for mine," Emmaleigh said, reaching for her purse.
"No, I told you earlier that this was my treat, and I meant it," Lachlan insisted.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Absolutely."
"Well thank you," she told him with a smile.
"So, back to my place, then?"
"Unless you have a better idea?"
"Right now? Definitely not."
"Then I guess we have a plan," she replied.
"Yeah, I guess so," Lachlan said, laughing a little as he reached for her hand.
"Shall we?" she asked, taking his hand and lacing her fingers with his again.
"I'll Apparate us both there?" He was hoping he sounded calm.
"I'll hang on," she promised.
"You would splinch otherwise, so yeah. Probably a good idea!"
"I'd trust you to put me back together," Emmaleigh teased him.
"I sincerely hope I don't ever have to do that, but thank you for the thought," Lachlan replied, quickly kissing her on the cheek before he brought them both back to his flat for what he envisioned would be an excellent way to recuperate before his next shift.
"You cleaned," Emmaleigh replied, looking surprised as she glanced around his flat.
"I did," Lachlan stifled a laugh. "I figured if I'm going to be having people over more often it wouldn't do to have piles of my stuff everywhere."
"I think I'm kind of flattered," she said, slipping her shoes off just inside the door.
"You should be, considering I did the bedroom just for you," he teased her.
"So you do listen to my suggestions," Emmaleigh grinned, dropping her purse next to her shoes.
"I thought I'd try it out, why not." he replied, gathering her into his arms.
"I may be younger than you, but I still have some brilliant ideas," she told him, slipping her arms around his neck.
"I think this is a brilliant idea, too," he said, before kissing her.
"You have to have brilliant ideas to be a Healer," she murmured after.
"Or at least be able to carry out the ideas of others-"
"Which you're also pretty good at," Emmaleigh mentioned, giggling as she felt him backing her towards his room.
"Oh, you think so?"
"I'm pretty sure!"
"If I remember right, I'm pretty sure that worked in my favour the last time you were here-"
"It did," she smirked at him. "A couple of times."
Lachlan kissed her again, blindly reaching for his bedroom door. "It's not too much to ask that it'll happen again, right?"
"I'm almost in your bedroom, what do you think?" Emmaleigh asked, tugging his shirt up.
Lachlan helped her get rid of it and pushed her a couple of steps further. "No, you are in my bedroom," he corrected her.
Emmaleigh paused to look around. "Not bad, MacScottish..."
"So, will it do?" he asked, reaching for the hem of her shirt.
Emmaleigh raised her arms to help him. "I think it just might. Even if you have Quaffles or Healerish things on your sheets," she joked.
He laughed. "I don't, don't worry."
Her knees hit the bed and she giggled as it knocked her off balance, causing her to sit on the bed. "Comfy!"
"Better than the couch?"
"More room!"
Lachlan gently pushed her back so that she was lying down. "Even though we managed just fine-"
"Trust me," Emmaleigh smirked up at him, propping herself up on her elbows. "We'll have loads more fun here."
"I promise I won't make you late for practice, then!"
"Better not!" She told him, pulling him down to her with one arm so she could kiss him again.
"Yeah, I don't need the whole of the Harpies mad with me-"
"Definitely not," Emmaleigh agreed. "But you know what you should do?"
"What?" he asked, focused on kissing her neck at that moment.
"Take me to dinner sometime. A real date, y'know?"
"A real date?" Lachlan asked, pleasantly surprised that she had suggested it. "Are you sure?"
"We'll, a girl's got to eat!"
He had to laugh at that, and kissed her again as a result. "Then we'll go on a real date. Let me see what I can do at work so I can switch a shift around."
"Good," Emmaleigh sent him a smirk.
"No promises as to exactly when it will be, though-"
"That's fine," Emmaleigh said, proving her point by kissing him soundly.
"Yeah, I think we’ll be okay in the meanwhile," Lachlan managed some time later.
"Occupied anyway," she giggled.
"Mhmm, definitely," Lachlan agreed, not entirely interested in talking at that moment.
Emmaleigh smirked and rolled them so she was on top. "Time to put you to bed..."
He grinned up at her. "Yes, please-"
She giggled before kissing him and ending conversation for a while.