[M.Bird] Reunited and it feels good [Jac, Open]

[Ginny Weasley]

First Hogsmeade weekend of the term which suited Ginny since she needed to get out of that castle. School just didn't hold the same appeal it used to for the petite red-head. Her books were scattered haphazardly all over her room none of them had been cracked open, since they were used books though no one would ever know. School was a thing of the past or at least she wished it was, she was so over it already. It just didn't seem to be doing her any good, everything that had been going on in the world was going on outside those four walls. Ginny didn't necessarily want to be apart of it but she didn't want to sit on the sidelines either.

All this resentment which started from last tern led her into becoming some sort of recluse. Not allowing anyone to catch a glimpse of her even Jac her really good friend. She and Gin always got along famously not quite two peas in a pod but something akin to it. Once Ginny became anti-social she pushed her dear friend away. Refusing to talk to her not wanting to see her. Now Jac was gone, she'd graduated school Ginny never got to tell her how sorry she was.

This year even though she was still very unhappy she did want things to be a little different it was her last year after all. Only a few months to go and she would be out in the real world. So she was going to try and turn a new leaf become more like her old self. Getting out of the castle every once in a while would greatly help with that.

Now she wondered where to go. The growling of her stomach gave her the answer, she had skipped breakfast too busy on the Quidditch pitch getting in some flying time. Her stomach reminded her angrily of that so Ginny checked the pouch in which she carried her wizarding money, she should have enough there to get something at the Majestic Bird. It wasn't a place she frequented but she'd heard it was real good, the food was to die for one girl said.

Reaching the establishment preparing to open the door she moved her head slightly to the right which is when she saw someone that looked very familiar. Maybe it was because she had just been thinking about Jac that the woman across the road looked so much like her. Ginny rubbed her eyes one, twice, three times but it made no difference the woman still bore a striking resemblance to her old friend. Figuring that there was only one way she was ever going to find out Ginny called out "Jac s'that you?"

[Jac Shaw]

[[sorry it took me so long to reply ]]

Jac had begun her training to become an Auror and already she was wishing for a break. She had taken to spending weekends with her sister, Trisha, in Hogsmeade and with Grace Marks when she was there too. It was very important for Jac to keep those friendships that had been so important to her at school afterwards. She wasn't certain why but it made sense that they would be important to her. Those friendships with other people, people like Girty Hubbles and Ginny Weasley seemed slightly harder to maintain but she wished she could.

One such lucky weekend both Grace and Trish were in The Bird and Jac had taken to staying there with Grace while she was there for the weekend. It was always great to see Grace, to hear about all her Quidditch-playing and such, Jac adored it. Trish was more questions then share and it was because of this that Jac was beginning to think that certain issues in her life had actually driven her to leaving London other then her professed search for rare books. There was her manner and that she had magically bumbed into a one Damien Finley who filled her in on the current situation between himself and her sister.

Jac had not brought it up with Trish yet and she didn't really know how to so Jac was forced to answer scores of questions from her sister who would take next to none. It wasn't all bad though as Jac was happy to spend any time with her most beloved sister. There was that and Jac wasn't with her Ravenclaw fourth year brother anymore, the poor quiet thing.

Well, Jac had been up early on the Saturday morning because she had agreed to go grocery shopping with Grace and Sigh before they opened. Grace, organised as ever, had a list but when they got back to the Bird it turned out that Grace had forgotten to buy teabags. Since it was opening time and they needed to get everything sorted for the day Jac offered to go buy it for her. With gold in her pocket and a note with the specifics it was easy for Jac to buy all the teas that Grace had asked for.

Jac's multi-coloured hair was loose for the morning, hanging on the shoulders of her dark blue jumper. She was wearing black jeans, simply because they were the only clean things she had brought with her (Jac never did washing and Grace always insisted on doing it for her) and her bright red All Stars looked brand new because Grace had put them to scrub for the night to try and get the thick layer of mud off them. On the whole, Jac looked very casual for an Auror in training.

Jac was walking back to the Bird when she heard her name. Looking around, her hair turning a bright purple in confusion. And then she spotted the culprit. It was Ginny who had called her and as soon as Jac had spotted her, her eyes had gone wide and she smiled widely running to her. She flew into a hug of the naturally red headed girl before breaking away and looking her up and down. "Merlin's beard," Jac cracked, "you are looking very skinny, my friend. Come in, I'll get Grace to fix you breakfast."

Jac nodded her head towards the open door of the Majestic Bird before walking in. "Sigh!" Jac called and the tall, skinny woman stuck her head around the corner. Jac held out the plastic bag full of the teas out for her. She took them with a smile and a furtive look at Ginny. Jac, ignoring this, said brightly, "two heavy breakfasts and teas with that please." The dark skinned woman nodded and shuffled back around the wall again.

Jac turned back to Ginny, still smiling like she had been struck by lightening. "Merlin's pants!" Jac said. "Oh, erm .. I hope you don't mind about the breakfast." Jac nodded to a table and pulled out a chair, "shall we?" Loosing her balance, Jac fell into the seat and broke into laughter. When her giggles had recided slightly, Jac looked at Ginny with enquiring blue eyes. "So," she said finally, "how are you? And I trust your family is well too?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny had almost forgotten Jac was a metamorphmagus. Her eyes glued to the girl waiting for her to look Ginny's way. From across the street Ginny could see her hair had turned purple. IT caused her to giggle and shake her head. Leave it to Jac to be stylish with the cool purple hair while looking around for the sound of the voice that called to her. Spotting Ginny Jac made a run for it.

Ah maybe this was the telling off she knew she was due. She had been such a bad friend hadn't really kept up with Jac. She hated herself for doing that but she was just so distraught that she couldn't manage it no matter how hard she wanted to. Now the issue was how to explain this to the one girl that had always been so good to her.

Ginny didn't get a telling off, no quite the contrary she got a big hug. One that made her feel better for the first time in a long time. She had no idea what she had done to deserve it but she surely had no intention of complaining to Jac about it. It had been so long yet it felt like just yesterday they'd seen each other last. Jac telling her she looked too skinny she had heard it before but hadn't taken it too seriously.

Soon Ginny was walking into the Majestic Bird, a place that looked just as nice from the inside as it did from the out. Odd how Ginny had never really bothered to enter it before. Jac entered them breakfast and some tea. This didn't bother her she was hungry and she'd heard only good things about the breakfast there.

Jac still hadn't said anything to Ginny about being M.I.A. from her life. Ginny wasn't sure if it was on purpose but it at least she was sitting there trying to figure out how to explain right away. No instead she was asked how she was doing. Funny it was the same thing. Ginny felt that knot in her stomach the one she always felt when she had to answer the difficult questions.

"Jac I've never felt..." how could she say this? All she could do was just say it. "Hell I've never felt worse. I have no idea what's wrong. I've just been so unhappy lately I've forgotten myself, locked myself away." That was as awkward as you could get.

"Sorry I didn't mean to just lay that all on you." This was so unlike the fiery spitfire to show such vulnerabilities. Their breakfast arrived just then. Maybe it would make Jac forget what she had said (yeah right.)

[Jac Shaw]

It was always wonderful to see people that you knew from the past. They were the best way, Jac found, to hold onto your memories of good times and those would help you through any bad times that would come in the future. Of course, with training going the way it was Jac needed all the happy memories she could get. You couldn't tell with Jac but she was tired, drained from all the work, but she was enjoying it all the same.

Ginny - on the other hand - didn't seem to be dealing as well as the Gryffindor graduate. Jac noticed on top of her looking slightly skinnier then Jac thought was good for her that she didn't look her normal, cheerful self. It didn't take an expert to pick up that Ginny Weasley wasn't exactly happy. Jac wanted to dive in and ask straight off the bat what was wrong but that would obviously be far too blunt - even for her.

Instead the normal 'how are you?' came - but the answer was far from the norm. Ginny told Jac straight and Jac, feeling touched and honoured that Ginny would confide in her like this, paid particular attention. It was hard - school, relationships, life! It didn't surprise the apprentice that anyone should be struggling. Then Ginny apologised just before Sianna brought the breakfasts and tea over.

"Thank you, Sigh," Jac said, smiling up at the tall woman as she turned to leave. Jac busied herself for the moment with pouring the tea. It was already well brewed so she filled the two cups, pushing one towards Ginny, and then put the pot back down on the round table. Jac added a dash of milk and a dash of sugar and stirred thoughtfully. Picking up the tea cup, Jac took a small sip - as the tea was still very hot - and held the cup between both her hands, staring at the dark liquid.

A quick moment past and Jac looked up at Ginny, her eyes dark like her sister's with concern. "I'm sorry to hear that, Gin," Jac said softly, putting the cup down on an open bit of table, leaving her plate of food in front of her be for the time being. "Why d'you think you've been doing that?" she asked, her concern clear in her voice. "Locking yourself away? It's not like you. You been having trouble with any of the half-wit guys because if you are you know I can rough them up for you if you want."

Jac shook a fist at the mention of beating people up. She did enjoy that sort of thing when it was all fun and games of course but it wasn't below her to stand up for a friend in any way they needed. She added a quick smile to her friend, before taking another sip of her tea.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny had always been told it was better to talk about your feelings than to keep them bottled up inside. To her that was simply rubbish, no one needed to know how she felt it was her business and she would deal with it in her own way. All the good that did her as she became the girl with no life. Stashing herself away in her room to avoid dealing with things. Her brother when hes wasn't being a moron tried to talk to her but Ginny pushed him aside brushed off his concern as sheer nosiness. Others tried to befriend her and she did more of the same. her feelings stayed buried and her unhappiness burgeoned out of control.

Seeing Jac made her remember all the good times she used to have. The party in the Gryffindor common room when Jac won the Tri wizard tournament. All of her days spent flying in the air on her old broomstick. Laughing with friends, flirting with boys. These were things she used to do on a regular basis. Things she loved and enjoyed. Now she was always in her room angry or brooding. This wasn't the girl most people knew and that wasn't a girl anyone seemed to like.

Telling Jac was not something she had meant to do. Heck she didn't think her friend would even understand but once it all came out Ginny felt better. No completely better of course, but better. Their food arrived and for the first time in weeks Ginny was sort of a little hungry. Jac poured her a cup of tea and Ginny thanked her before pouring in some milk and sugar of her own. Taking up the cup Ginny was trying to find something to do with her hands. The warm liquid eased its way down her throat into her belly warming her instantly. Funny she never thought of tea as something that comforts. She didn't think a lot of things were as they were.

Jac had been rather quiet the silence wasn't bothering Ginny she just wondered what her old friend was thinking about. Ginny put the tea cup back down on the table but kept her hands wrapped firmly around it the warmth of it was nice. Her eyes started to roam around the room taking in the place. The atmosphere in there was cool Ginny could see herself in there again.

At the sound of Jac's voice Ginny turned to her. Hearing the questions Ginny took a minute to think about it before giving an answer. "Honestly I have no clue. Maybe I've just been trying to bury my feelings and instead they're burying me. Forcing me to keep to myself. No one's been bothering me no one you have to beat up." Ginny laughed for the first time in ages. "I'm just going through some kind of teenage angst I guess I was normal for too long.some abnormal behavior was bound to happen" she joked followed by a chuckle.

[Jac Shaw]

After the sound of her own voice faded away, it was clear that Ginny was thinking about what Jac had asked. Their breakfast arrived and Jac gave Sianna another smile, as she layed the basket of toast, jams and butter to the one side and their plates in front of them. Cook had obviously given them extra because there was a lot of bacon - he obviously remember who Jac had gone on about how great it was when she had first had it.

Picking up her knife and fork, Jac immediately began cutting into her eggs. After taking a small bite Jac took a piece of toast and began to butter it and was fiddling around with the jams when Ginny finally found her voice and an answer for the now purple-haired companion. Jac listened while she spread the pineapple jam on her toast and as she lifted the toast to her mouth she looked at Ginny with a smile.

"Darn it!" Jac cursed, grinning widely. "That is a pity, I was getting my hopes up and everything. Ah well." Jac took another bite of her toast before putting it down an turning to the rest of her breakfast. The sausage was lovely and brown, the eggs lovely as ever and the bacon was crispy and delicious. Jac began shovelling her breakfast into her mouth like she hadn't eaten for many days. This was one thing Jac could do very well: clear a plate.

When she came up for air, Jac couldn't help but smirk. "Gin," she said, very pointedly, "you're about as normal as a friendly pixie who wants nothing more then to pollish your shoes while you sleep. Those are hard to find. Just like a good friend - just like you." Jac gave Ginny a wink and took a sip of her tea. "Things can only go up from here, I suppose."

Jac turned back to her food. In these sorts of situations she never knew what to say and always felt like she was putting her foot so far in it that it might just swallow her leg - whatever it was. So, keeping her mouth preoccupied was essential and easily enough done when the food was just so good. Jac couldn't think of anything else to say, her hair turning bluer by the second.

Eventually, when the metamorphmagus' whole head was covered in bright neon blue hair, Jac stopped eating, swallowed and looked up at Ginny. "How'd'you know I was going to be here?" Jac asked with a big frown. It had only just occurred to her that the two hadn't actually planned to meet and here they were, having breakfast. Merlin's beard, if they had planned to meet it would have been a lunch thing if anything.

[Ginny Weasley]

The food spelled so good and Ginny stared at her plate for a while. The bread looked so appealing but she just couldn't bring herself to pick it up and eat it. Jac didn't seem to be having any problems at all she was digging in with vigor and Ginny admired her for that. Grabbing her fork she sort of played with her food pushing it around on the plate making a little mess but a controlled mess.

This was how she had been for the last few days. She barely ate much if at all. It was a shame though everything just looked so good. There was a lot of bacon Ginny normally loved bacon her mother served it lots with their breakfasts at home. Her moms bacon was the best so crispy and delicious, she added a few things here and there but she'd never tell Ginny what they were. She smiled remembering all the times she tried to sneak and find out just to be caught right before seeing anything.

Home, maybe that's what she needed. School had been taking a toll on her for some time now, Ginny knew that world outside was where she should be not locked up behind those marble walls. Ginny heard Jac's voice her friend joking with her acting normal with her. Ginny couldn't help but smile, even picking up a piece of bacon and nibbling on it.

Jac's remark about the polishing pixie's made Ginny laugh out loud. The girl had the most interesting sense of humor something Ginny admired and liked. How funny they were sort of opposite but they got on so very well. Maybe that's what was lacking for her lately, her good friend was gone and there was no one around to cheer her up. Just being around Jac these few minutes made some of her funk start to lift away. Her appetite was there as she started to butter some toast with butter and strawberry jelly. "Well they have to go up if not I may just blow up the whole Gryffindor common room in frustration she teased," before taking her first bite.

The food felt good she really needed it. Jac asked how Ginny knew she would be there. Ginny didn't actually. "Honestly I'd never been here before and I heard the food was good so I wanted to try it out. I saw you walking so I called you I guess I missed you so fate brought me here." Winking she took another bite of toast.

[Jac Shaw]

”Hmmm!” Jac hummed with pleasure. All the food was delicious. The bacon was on the slightly bouncy side of crispy, the toast was on the toasty side of warm bread, the eggs (scrabbled because that was the way that Jac liked it and Cook knew it) were firm and tasty, and the vegetables were fresh, trust Sianna to get the freshest vegetables for her favourite customers. Jac had breakfast in “The Bird” often enough for everyone who worked there to know how Jac liked her breakfast best.

So, naturally, Jac showed no restrained and when her plate was nearly empty she stopped, looked at Ginny’s plate and then up at Ginny. Tilting her head to one side, her hair turning a dark blond colour, Jac wrinkled her nose at her friend as she started talking for the first time in a few moments. Jac laughed heartily as she picked up her tea cup and took a sip. She had thought about blowing up a few times but always thought better of it – where else would she sleep?

“It can only go up from that comment and no denying it,” Jac chuckled, setting her cup down. She left what was left of her food for the time being as Ginny began eating. Jac smiled, her pride swelling in her chest. She didn’t know exactly why she was proud or in fact is she should be but she was – a defect of being a Gryffindor she supposed. Hooking the crook of her arm around the back of her chair, Jac lent backwards, linking her fingers in one another. A good day’s work so far … not that she saw this as work, of course, being there for friends was a pleasure and a privilege, that’s how she saw it anyway.

It wasn’t surprising that Ginny had heard that the food here was good, Jac would tell anyone who asked where the best food was served and that was at “The Bird” of course. Even so, with the mood that Ginny seemed to be in it was good to hear that she was coming outside, out of the castle. “Well, bless my socks and call me Suzanna,” Jac said, her sister’s influences on her becoming very apparent at times, “that’s good! It means that things are moving up.” Clapping a hand onto Ginny’s back, Jac smiled broadly and chuckled, “Don’t you see? This is very good. And that we bumped into one another was even better!”

Jac had always thought that things happened for a reason and this was so clear an example of that it was unreal. Sitting up straight again and shifting her weight from one side to the other, Jac picked up her knife and fork again, filling her mouth with what was left of her breakfast. Chewing and swallowing, Jac almost chocked. Quickly picking up her cup of tea, Jac drained the content before bursting into laughter … still mixed with coughing. Giving her throat one harsh cough to clear it, Jac shook her head – her hair turning a violent shade of violet – and she looked at Ginny again. “So,” she said, “what’s Ronald doing? I haven’t heard from him in a while. Not still at your parents’ house is he? And have you thought about what you’re going to do when you leave Hogwarts?”

[Ginny Weasley]

They were enjoying their meals together. Jac had been right about the place the food was excellent. Ginny hadn't been eating much even the food in the Great Hall the food she used to love didn't hold the same appeal for her it once did. Today things suddenly seemed a little bit different. The air felt brighter, her mind a wee clearer. and her appetite up and running. She knew what had brought it on, the one thing she didn't seem to have lately.

Seeing Jac is what did it. For months now she didn't have many people in school to talk to her family wasn't around living their own lives, and Harry well she had no idea what was going on with Harry probably the other part of why she had been feeling so lately. Whatever it was seeing an old friend made her feel a bit more at ease.

Jac was always so easy to talk to she didn't really make judgments about people, she didn't make you feel awkward when you yourself felt awkward. No she sat there and listened and offered her own dose of advice that was actually helpful. She had no idea how much she missed the girl until now. When they were in school together they were good friends until Ginny pulled away. Now she regretted that but hoped that she would be able to change that.

Jac asked about Ron and Ginny gave her a pointed look. "That bonehead is still doing his best to butt into everyone's life. He needs one of his own but doesn't seems possible of obtaining it. So he sits at my mothers home getting into all sorts of non sense when he's not trying to meddle in my life. He's just a pest the same way he was when he was at school with us. But then Ickle Ronnikins is mum's baby boy so he gets away with making the rest of us miserable" Ginny cracked up for the first time in a long time. "He's just a git you know that" she winked then took another bite of food.