WHO: Hugh Abbott & Sarah Daniels
WHAT: You're going to the ball with who?
WHEN: Lunchtime
WHERE: Ministry
Lunchtime on a Monday afternoon could never come soon enough. There you were, sitting at your desk, half asleep, and that clock seemed to tick slower than ever, mocking your growling stomach all the way til noon. So when noon finally came, and once Sarah was able to put up that 'out to lunch' sign, she literally bounced over to Hugh's desk.
She had been in an extremely bouncy, happy mood lately--ever since her meeting with Tiberius. It was great, because for once she wasn't thinking all the time about Hugh or Ally or being jealous or any of that bad stuff... she was thinking about Ty, her date to the Ministry Ball, and that felt so good. Maybe this could be the catalyst to getting over Hugh, finally. Maybe.
She hoped so.
"Come on, come to the break room with me. Luuunchtime!"
Hugh would have had to be as blind as a bat to not see how happy and perky Sarah had seemed lately, and it was really cute fun, as her mood was quite infectious. So with a grin, he allowed her to tug him away from his desk and documents and pull him to the lunchroom.
"You seem peppy," he remarked, as they both sat down. "Even though it's a Monday?"
Sarah shrugged, reaching over--as she sat; she was talented that way--to the counter to grab her lunch. "I guess I am," she said with a grin. "I've been really happy lately, I don't know why. Things are just... going right, I guess!"
Okay, so she was blushing a little because he had noticed and even if he wasn't thinking of it, she was thinking of Ty and knowing that she was reason why she was happy and aaaaah oh gosh--she had to stop, goodness.
Hugh took out his own lunch - a ham and cheese sandwich and a can of Coca-Cola - and started munching on it. "Tell me what could have possibly happened to make you all -" he gestured with his Coke can - "all bouncy like this." He grinned and looked at her expectantly. "I promise I'll be quiet for the entire duration of the story."
Okay, so maybe she couldn't help it. Maybe she was just so bursting with excitement that she had to come out and tell someone, but--oh Merlin, it was just so hard to keep in! "Ty kissed me!" she had blurted in something of a giddy squeal before she realized it. "I mean--just on the cheek, but he was so nice and, and well it was just--it was so cute and I mean--I think this date might work out well."
She finished with a giggle she just couldn't help before taking a bite of her sandwich, still grinning.
Hugh couldn't help it, he really couldn't. The words 'Ty kissed me' had some sort of strange affect on him; obviously, because he felt his face contorting into something that matched what he felt - sheer disgust. Who was this Ty bloke? And why was she going around kissing strange blokes he did not know about?
It was utterly stupid, irrational to feel this way. Hugh didn't know why he didn't feel... oh, what was it... happy for her instead. Realising that she was still looking expectantly at him, Hugh quickly rearranged his face into something that resembled a smile. "Ah, yeah, sorry, I must have packed some bad ham," he lied smoothly, chucking his barely-nibbled sandwich into the garbage bin. Oh well, he didn't have much of an appetite anymore, anyway.
Sarah's smile melted into a concerned frown. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, putting down her soda can and turning to face him fully. "That face didn't seem like an 'I-packed-bad-ham' face."
Okay, it wasn't like she was pretentious enough to think she could still read him like she used to be able to, but she had gone out with him for two years back at Hogwarts. She didn't like to think she had totally lost her instinct.
Hugh was the master of lies, but even he was caught off guard for a moment. However, he managed to not look like an idiot as he shrugged. "What can I say, I think it's time to buy some more ham."
It was either lie to her or tell her the real reason why he felt so disgusted by the mere thought of this "Ty" touching Sarah... or talking to her... or her being around him. He'd prefer to lie.
From the expression on Sarah's face, it was clear that she didn't believe a word that Hugh was saying, but she nodded anyway. "Alright, I guess... Maybe I just don't know you like I used to, but that face always used to mean that--no, nevermind, obviously it's been too long," she stopped herself quickly, putting on a smile and waving her own comment off with her hand.
"Do you want half of mine? Turkey, and it's still good." Sarah held the other half of her sandwich out to him.
"Turkey. Sounds good." Hugh leaned forward and took the sandwich, noticing, for some reason, how his hand brushed against her's. He also noticed, for some reason, how long he took in accepting said sandwich. However, just as quickly, he pulled his hand away.
Right. Everything was just normal.
"I really can't wait to go home," he said in what he hoped passed as a supremely casual tone. "Because it'll mean that it's that much closer to Friday."
