Love Bites (Harry Potter: Official Dragon Tamer, Part One)

Wizards are so Wonderfully Weird

Friday Afternoon
30 October 2009
Micah's POV

"Are you worried, Mum?" George asked, grinning at Molly as she wiped down the area around the sink once more.

I watched, fascinated, as the dish scrubber magically began cleaning one of the large mixing bowls in the sink and the rag that Molly had just now set aside floated over to wring itself out in the other basin.

"Of course, I'm not worried," she replied, turning and fixing her son with a stern look, and even though she wasn't actually upset, I could see why Ginny was terrified of her mom's wrath.

"It's only Harry and his boyfriend, nothing to worry about..."

"Yeah, Harry and his boyfriend... who just happens to be Malfoy," Ginny joined her brother in teasing their mom as Molly began putting the sandwiches she'd made on a platter, each one cut into four triangles, arranging them just so.

I racked my brain, trying to see what I could remember about anyone named Malfoy or anything else Ginny might have mentioned about Harry's boyfriend.

He hadn't had a boyfriend when I'd met him at his birthday party in July. A few days after Ginny and I had officially moved to the UK.

Honestly, the past few months had been a fucking blur... a happy, excited blur, but still, definitely, a blur.

I'd spent most of August trying to figure out if an odd-sounding phrase or object was a wizard thing or just British and trying not to get run over every time I used the crosswalk because I kept looking the wrong way to check for cars... even in London, where they'd had "Look Right" spelt out at, literally, every crosswalk.

I'd spent September mostly sitting in the apartment Ginny and I shared in Dufftown, where we lived in the Scottish highlands, staring stupidly at all the magical gadgets and reading every book I could lay my hands on, sure to learn more about Ginny's world, but also, hello?

Moving pictures?!?!

Now that it was almost the end of October, I was, once again, noticing the differences between life in Great Britain and America.

The more subtle ones, this time.

For example, should you ever find yourself rising from a group of British people visiting your girlfriend to make another cup of coffee, please, make sure you remember to ask to refill everyone else's cup, as well.

I hadn't even realized I'd done something wrong until Ginny had piped up:

"Erm, would anyone else like more coffee or tea?"

I could tell by her voice that she was a little panicked, and I'd turned to see some of the older faces looking quite taken aback.

Not angry.

Just... confused, and then that look everyone gets when they're like, "Oh, right, she does things weird 'cause she's American...."

Also, everyone here was so much more relaxed about drinking at work-related functions.

I'd assumed since Ginny was a teacher the first time we met up with some of her work colleagues, it'd be a water-only affair.

Maybe a Coke if we were feeling naughty.

But nope.

Even though it was a school night, several rounds of pints were enjoyed, and I wondered how any of them were going to get through a full day of teaching the next day.

Oh, and that was another thing.

You bought a round for the entire group, then someone else got the next round, and someone else the next.