Work Text:
Lavender stepped into her second favourite place in town, Full Moon Beanery, inhaling the warm, familiar scents of fresh coffee and delicious baked goods. It was always a good day when she could make it to the Beanery; she was such a regular there that the baristas all knew her order like the back of their hands. Her favourite barista, Ginny, waved her over to the counter with a smile.
“Chai latte and almond croissant coming right up Lav. You doing alright today?”
Lavender responded with a smile of her own, happy that her friend was working today. “You know it Gin—you know me so well. And yeah, just a little tired. Work has been running me off my ass lately but there's nothing new there.” She looked in her purse to grab her wallet and was dismayed to find that it wasn’t there. “Bollocks. Gin, I left my wallet at home, can you add today to my tab?”
Ginny waved her off, “Don’t worry about it, I know you’re good for it. Just get us whenever.”
Lavender heaved a sigh of relief and grabbed her drink and pastry. “Thanks, Gin, you’re a lifesaver!” She turned with her order in hand and ran straight into a wall of tweed. Her drink fell to the floor, splashing both her and the unknown person in front of her with her the rich, spiced liquid that had been her chai latte.
She knelt down to start trying to clean up the mess but when she looked up to try to apologize for the accident, she was met with the most amazing pair of amber eyes she had ever seen. She was so taken by them that she didn’t notice that the stranger was holding out a stack of napkins to help. Finally taking notice, her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she gratefully took the napkins.
“I am so, so sorry! Are you ok? I really should have been paying better attention to where I was going...”
The man smiled gently as he knelt down to help her clean up the mess. “No apologies needed; I’m perfectly fine. Are you alright, though?”
Lavender blushed even more at his words while she used a handful of napkins to mop up the tea nearest her feet. “Oh I’m alright, I think the most damage was done to my poor latte here. Luckily I saved my pastry from such a grim fate.”
The man helped her up and took the small heap of sodden napkins that had accumulated and tossed them in the bin nearby. “Well I’m glad to hear that, but the least I can do is replace your drink if you’d allow me to, Miss? I’m sorry, I seem to have neglected to ask for your name.”
Lavender shook her head a little to clear the cobwebs that those amazing eyes had started to create once again. “Lavender. Lavender Brown. And if you insist, yes, I would very much appreciate another drink.”
The man nodded, “My name is Remus Lupin, and though I do wish the introduction had been a bit different, I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Lavender. Now, by the smell, I’ll hazard a guess to say that your drink of choice was a chai latte?”
A smile broke across Lavender's face, “I’m pleased to meet you as well, Remus, and yes! It was a chai, good nose!”
Remus nodded and moved to place the order, but instead, paused and turned back. “Excuse me, I know we’ve just met—so please feel free to tell me no—but would it be terribly forward of me to ask to join you for a while with my own drink?”
Lavender’s eyes widened and her heart raced just a little. “Not forward at all, I-I think I would like that, actually.”
Remus’s answering grin flooded her stomach with butterflies.
“Well, I’ll get our drinks and come find you, then?”
She nodded, offering him a smile as she turned to make her way to her usual table, thinking to herself that today was shaping up to be a very good day, indeed.