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Title: Capers and Tea

Contributors: lacy_pembrooke, dm_fugitive, seviesnape

Edited by: Carla Lute

Posted: 2006-01-22 to 1-23

Game Date: September 10th

Disclaimer: No one at Levicorpus owns Harry Potter, the world or its characters. We just like to play in J.K. Rowling’s world.

* * * * * * *

Lacy was ringing up an older woman who came in often and always complained. It was the same today. The lady glowered at Lacy, shaking a ring encrusted finger in her face.

"I swear! Every time it's the same with you! There's no way my groceries should have come to that much! You're overcharging me! Lining your little pockets." The last sentence had been a half whisper.

"Mrs. Englewood, it's really up to the scanner... I mean, I know my uncle just had this system put in at the beginning of the year and it's fairly new, but it doens't lie." Lacy tried to remain polite, but her voice was taking on a weary tone as though she'd grown tired of saying the same thing over and over.

"Oh, it doesn't, does it?" The woman looked around indignantly. "Where is Cecil!? I'd like a word with him. The fact that you're his niece doesn't give you the right to lecture me about machines."

"He's out." Lacy explained holding back the urge to roll her eyes. "One of the shelves in the back collapsed so he went into Greater Hangelton to get a new one."

The woman slammed her money down on the counter and grabbed up her bags quickly, mumbling to herself about young people and attitude.

Lacy just shook her head and sighed. Why did things always have to be so trivial? "Mountain out of a mole hill..." she mumbled.

Draco left the wagon by the grocery door and entered the store. "Capers," he muttered irritably. He still had the same long list that he had had on Sunday and the food stores had been depleted by a few more days. He grabbed a basket and started loading it.

Lacy looked up just as Drake came striding in. Instead of greeting him like usual, she just quirked an eyebrow and smiled smugly. He was wearing the same sour expression he always did.

Lacy leaned on the counter and turned her radio up a little bit, waiting for him to finish.

Lacy would have a long wait. Draco had a long list, and he wasn't in a huge hurry to get back to the house. It took him well over an hour before he got to the register. Partially because he was lost in his own world of thought. He didn't notice Lacy until he was at the counter. He did not look at her directly as he presented his food for scanning.

Lacy had almost forgotten Drake had even entered the store by the time he came to the counter.

She silently started scanning the items and in turn bagging them. After about ten scans though she couldn't help but say something.

"It's not too late to accept my invitation to the bonfire you know...." she reminded, the smug smile still plastered across her face.

Draco stared at the clock behind her and acted as though she had not spoken.

Lacy let out a laugh through her nose and continued scanning.

"Well I'd invite your uncle again if it wasn't for the fact that it's a youth group event, and he just doesn’t strike me as the type to find that entertaining."

* * * * * * *

Severus, not being one to leave the house often, decided to go for a stroll and see where his feet would take him. He wasn't used to being confined to such a small area when Hogwarts was the size it was.

He put on a black button up dress shirt instead of his usual frock coat, and put on a dark sweater over top. He left the house and took random turns here and there, not paying much attention to where his feet were carrying him.

He thought of his meeting with Voldemort, and his last chat with Draco. Before he knew it, he was staring at the local grocery store. I wonder if I have enough for a drink... he thought, completely forgetting his lack of Muggle money.

When he opened the door, who should he find but Draco... and Lacy.

Draco determinedly stared at the back wall of the store, not wanting to look at *anybody* at the moment. With his luck it was Steven coming in, and he and Lacy would try to double team him.

Lacy looked up as the bell on the door sounded only to see the man she'd just been talking about. Her cheeks flushed pink slightly.

In fact she'd never seen him enter the store at all until now.

"Good morning!" Lacy called over to him cheerily.

"Indeed," Severus drawled, glaring at Draco. "I had no idea you were leaving the house today... Drake."

He watched Lacy flush out of the corner of his eye, and inwardly smirked. The girl seems to be quite taken with me...

Draco tensed when he heard Snape's voice and turned his head slowly. His lips parted, but he really couldn't think of anything to say to Snape that Lacy should be allowed to hear. Finally he managed, "Why are you here?" soaking as much annoyance and irritation into the question as possible while keeping his tone even.

"Watch your tone boy," Severus snarled. Lacy knew he was a mean man, besides, how could he explain to Draco that he came here for any other reason that to ward her away from the house. Yes... play it up, he thought to himself smugly.

After a moment of silence, he felt the need to explain himself so the girl didn't get the impression he came specifically for her. He didn't recall her mentioning working in the grocery store... "I went for a stroll, and saw the grocery store... thought I might get a cup of tea."

Lacy's eyes widened when Severus snapped at Drake, but she kept her cool, still scanning the items. She was silently thankful that not many more customers had come in over the past hour.

Draco held up a box out of his pile of groceries labeled TEA. "This is the only kind they sell here. I can take you to the pub, if you want a brewed cup. It's next door."

"Right... well we best leave Miss Lacy to her work," he drawled, glancing at Lacy. He felt like quite the idiot after Draco pointed that fact out to him.

"There's a machine along the back wall that dispenses hot water..." Lacy pointed out, smiling at Severus.

Then she turned her attention back to Drake. "... but your uncle just doesn’t seem the type to drink his tea out of Styrofoam. He's too refined." At this point, Lacy was only trying to get under Drake's skin.

"That'll be 50 pounds," she chirped cheerfully.

"I should hope so," Draco said, wondering what on earth Styrofoam was. It sounded dirty at any rate. He gave Lacy the credit card. "The pub then."

"Too bad I can't go on break yet..." Lacy lamented, swiping the card and punching some codes into the cash register.

"Oh but that's right... you two don't want me hanging around anymore..." Lacy's words sounded as though she were being overdramatic. She handed the card back to Drake and tore off a slip of the receipt for him to sign.

While he was going about it, she let her eyes fall on Severus. When she noticed he was looking at her she smiled pleasantly, not in the least bit shy.

Draco took the card back and stuffed it and the receipt back in his wallet. He grabbed a few of the bags, ignoring Lacy's whine, and headed for the door. "Come on," he said.

Severus nodded at Lacy after Draco had passed him through the door, "Miss Lacy."

Lacy nodded politely in return to Severus and leaned forward on the counter slightly. "Have a good day." she called after him.

Yes, she was flirting.

Once the two left and the door swung shut behind them Lacy covered her eyes with her hand. What the bloody hell was she doing?

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