Coffee, Nights & Ferries

Monday, Hermione’s day off from the café – only because that was the one day of the week it was closed. She liked to work as many days of the week she could grab, it was lucky that Claire (the only other staff that worked front with her), liked to chuck a sicky most weekends – which meant Hermione was able to make good rates most weekends, and worked well around her university studies on mandatory days she had to be there. Well, when she used to have be there, she had handed in her last assignment last night after she had come back from her shift. She was proud of herself, she had gone to university on her own and now will be starting her dream job soon, it was all working out well enough.

It was 8AM and Hermione was still in bed, reading a different novel this time, it was a Vampire Fantasy – the Heroin was tossing up between the fair and righteous or the dark and mysterious main leads- and they were brothers. She pretended she didn’t want to know who the Heroin chose, but Hermione was secretly barracking for the dark - and surely - misunderstood one.

The way that Hermione’s bedroom was at the front of her house, allowed sunlight to stream in from the sheer curtained bay window, where she would normally sit and read from, as seen by the numerous books piled on the bench. She had piles of books all over her house really; it meant where ever she went, she was not without company.

“Meeooff”

“Of course, I’m not alone when I’m with you” Hermione laid her book and cradled Crookshanks, as she sat up in bed.

“I guess it’s time to get up isn’t it –“ BANG!!

Crookshanks practically jumped out of Hermione’s hands as she jolted and screamed to the noise that came from the front of her house. With her heart racing and Crookshanks scantly hidden under her bed, she proceeded to the window, sweeping the sheer curtains to the side.

A massive truck had pulled out front, but the bang she heard could not be distinguished from her side of the window - she needed to go out and investigate.

“Stay here, Shanks, I’ll see what’s going on”

Crookshanks watched her with his yellows eyes as if to say ‘as if I was going to anyways’ and decided it was the best time to start grooming his shabby -now standing on edge- fur.

Wrapping herself up in a red silky dressing gown, she proceeded out into her hallway. Bookshelves lined the hallway from top to bottom on each side, with one end of the hallway reaching out to the kitchen and living space - where an overhead mezzanine study space was tucked above - and the other way, went straight to the front door.  

Opening and stepping past her Emarald painted front door, she found her neighbours were piling furniture and goods into what she could see now see was a removalist truck.

It was Todd, who greeted Hermione, while his partner Greg seemed to be inside packing up their things, “Morning Hermione, sorry the back door swung out too far and hit the side of the truck, hope we didn’t wake you?”

“Oh no, not at all! I thought you weren’t moving for at least another month yet?” Hermione was surprised to see how full the truck was getting already.

“Well, it turns out the whole house has been sold privately, and the new owner wants to move in straight away. We were happy to move soon anyways, we had already booked our flights early, so now we’re giving away most our things to charity this morning”

Did he say the whole house was sold? Including my part, what about my lease? What does that mean for my – no don’t think about them.

“Oh well that’s great, I’ll miss you of course, and Greg. Any idea who the new owner or owners are? I haven’t been notified by email or mail of this sale?”

Hermione wondered who would privately buy this house? It wasn’t a sort out area due to its unusual access with the National Park surrounding them, and was over an hour away from the city, so it could be dreadful to get to and from - especially in peak hour times. She just hoped the new owner or owners (and now soon to be new neighbour), were decent like Todd and Greg had been.

“He was here yesterday, I didn’t see your bike out front, so you must’ve been out. He seems nice enough - tall, friendly yet cold… mmm McDreamy, if you know what I mean” Todd proceeded to wiggle his eyebrows at Hermione, she blushed.

“Oh! Are we talking about the walking dreamboat that came by yesterday to inspect the property?” Greg came out of their side of the house, walking with a stack of cardboard box’s marked with ‘kitchen pantry’ and ‘useless utensil draw’.

“Hey now, you said you didn’t go for blondes” Todd teased, while playing with his own auburn hair, “Of course honey, but like you said, ‘Damn, that man could be a model’, he sure had a superior walk to him, and that jawline - oooh could cut diamonds it could”

They all laughed, Hermione wasn’t sure how she felt about a potentially single man living next to her? Maybe they were a family man, and didn’t want to worry bringing everyone out yesterday? Or maybe they were single but were never home due to a crazy work schedule? Or maybe they would be a party animal and she would have to sadly move.

Now that the house didn’t belong to them anymore, what tied her here…

“You alright Hermione?” Greg had finished popping the boxes into the back of the truck, while Todd had gone back inside for more.

“Yes of course, it’s just all a bit sudden… I rather liked having you two next door. It’s been lovely” Greg stepped over the small row of native Callistemon Little John bush’s that Hermione had planted a few years ago. They ran down the middle to separate the small front yards, that now Greg was stepping over to Hermione’s side - to give her a big hug.

“Oh honey, It’s been a fantastic time! We never got ‘round to that wine night, but I’m sure the new owner will be nice, I have a good feeling about him”

Let’s hope so.

“I will say, I’ll miss that cat of yours coming into our garden, such an interesting breed… you really ought to show him, you know, might get some trophies with that face?”

Hermione knew that Crookshanks would HATE that, but the thought did make her smirk, seeing him dressed up in a bow at a show – oh what a sight that would be.

Yes, that would be a good thing to threaten him with - next time he even so blinked at a Cockatoo.

“I almost forgot! He requested your mobile number; I hope that was alright? I think he said something about contacting you over the next week… maybe you’ll even meet and get a proper introduction? I hope he’s single for your sake”

Hermione didn’t have an answer for that, she simply snorted and shook her head.

Excellent, can’t wait - Hermione internally rolled her eyes- please let him be a nice family man and not put my rent up!

Todd came out with some last pieces of house hold goods, and the couple told Hermione they would be leaving now to go stay in a hotel in central Sydney for a few nights, before taking off back to Canada.

After last hugs and goodbyes, Hermione turned back into her side of the house, wondering what the new owner, and neighbour will bring.

~

The following week flew by, on the Thursday her results came back in record time for her last assignment with a High Distinction (of course she had only once gone down to a Distinction, due to a nasty virus that made her referencing slightly off) - she was officially free from university.

Free in the sense now she was able to solely work at The Morning Magpie. She would enjoy it while it lasts, hopefully in the new year, she would be starting her 12 month-based internship in medicine; to become a registered medical doctor. Halfway through this year, she already had put in her applications and had a round of interviews, with several hospitals – most in Sydney and one in Adelaide. The first-round intake results would be live Friday - as in tomorrow.

“Jeez ‘Mione, you been a bit frazzled today, haven’t you darl?” Claire was counting the till, while I was packing down the seating area. The last patrons had exited, and the one cook that worked out back had gone -just after the closing time of 4PM. I had re-arranged the table’s three times already, anything to keep myself distracted from the potential life changing results that would be in my email tomorrow sharp at 6AM.

“Yeah sorry, I just… I get my internship placement results tomorrow morning and I’m… how would you put it? I’m shitting myself!” Hermione let out with a nervous laugh.

Claire snorted “Yeah nah yeah, I would be shitting bricks to, but luckily you got something that most people don’t have!”

“And that would be?” Hermione wasn’t sure what would come out of that girl’s mouth.

Claire was gorgeous, she was born in Orange – a country town in rural New South Wales – to two doting parents who immigrated from South Korea. After Claire had finished High School, much to her parents’ satisfaction of getting top grades, she was able to get a Scholarship to the same university that Hermione attended. Instead of medicine though, she went into dentistry; something that Hermione knew well due to her parents. Claire still had a bit of country in her, which Hermione thought was adorable- but also could make Claire sounding a bit harsher then attended to at times, or maybe that was just Claire?

“You got the brains! You know how to make cents and get a dollar out of it, you know? And you’re hot”

Hermione gasped “And what does my looks have to do with anything, I worked my bum off here, you know?”

“And what a fine bum at that” Claire whooped and threw a dish towel at Hermione. She caught it and giggled.

Claire was her only friend she allowed herself to have – besides Crookshanks – even then she was kept at a distance. Claire definitely did at times, make her time here more enjoyable- as much as it pained herself to admit it.

“Oi listen, if you get in tomorrow, you know we’re going out right?” Claire shut the till with a smack of her hip and looked up at Hermione with a sly grin on her face.

And then other times, she regretted ever letting the small percentage of friendship she had formed with Claire. Hermione permitted herself to go out once in a blue moon, when she was feeling – a certain way.  

“No, you know what happened last time, we can’t do that again” Hermione’s body shivered in remembrance.

I can still feel the all-consuming headache, and the vomit… and they say tequila doesn’t give you a hangover. Yeah riiiiiight! What liars!

“We won’t go as hard as last time! C’mon you know what they say?”

Oh no, not this again. Hermione deadpanned at Claire, waiting for what she was inevitably about to say – no matter how many times Hermione had already heard it before, Claire loved saying it; I’m pretty sure she got it from some medical rom-com drama.

“More Tequila, more love –“

The front door to the café flew upon with a gush, and in walked a face that Hermione had not seen in over 10 years.

“Did I hear Tequila and love? Well sign me up ladies, and gents, and anyone really! Sorry, but first, are you guys still open, I really need a strong vanilla– Granger? Is that your gorgeous face or have I been day drinking again? Oh my, my, myyyy! I can’t wait to tell –“

Hermione couldn’t let him finish his sentence; it was all too much.

“Theodore Nott, what the actual fuck are you doing here?!”