Work Text:
Molly felt sick. She wasn't sure if it was traveling by International Floo or her nerves, but there was a high likelihood she would vomit in the near future. She quickly made her way to her hotel room and sat on the floor of the bathroom, just in case. The cold tile felt really good on her heated skin, so she stretched out on the bathroom floor. She wondered why she had never thought of this before. The cold seeping through her clothes settled her stomach. The floors of hotel bathrooms were clean, right?
When Molly decided she did not need to vomit, she Flooed her parents to let them know she had arrived safely, and soaked in their "I love you's" and "Good lucks" and "We wish you wells" which made her feel better. Unfortunately, she couldn't Floo Lucy at Hogwarts, but she would survive somehow.
Molly chuckled to herself. Her first business trip had been rather a surprise, but her boss insisted she was ready. Her immediate supervisor was on paternity leave, and had decided to accept a job in a different section of the Ministry which would allow him to work from home. Her boss promoted her to British International Liaison for the Department of Games and Sports. Latvia had just defeated South Africa in the Quidditch World Cup, and now was the time to begin planning the next world cup. All of the liaisons were gathering for the first meeting, and she was going to get to be part of it. Molly was secretly glad the meetings were occurring in Athens, too far from home for daily Apparation. She had been excited when she was allowed to attend the World Cup, and now she would not only get to attend the next one but also help with planning and have a say in the next location. Her presentation on Monday could help her country be the hosts for the next Quidditch World Cup. Molly decided she needed to stop thinking or she might feel like vomiting again.
It was only Friday night, so Molly had plenty of time to settle in, find where she was supposed to be on Monday morning, and study the materials she had brought with her. She would rest tonight and find her bearings in the morning. If she did things quickly, she'd have time for some sight-seeing.
Molly briefly looked at the study materials she had brought, dismissed them in favor of her new novel, and curled up in bed with her book to have a relaxing evening. Being propped up on a heap of squishy pillows, and comfy bed, and her excellent novel relaxed her and allowed the excitement to win out over her nervousness, and she enjoyed some private time with her book.
~*~
The next morning, Molly awoke refreshed and ready to go. She showered, prepared for the day, and went to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast. She was surprised the restaurant was a cafeteria and even more surprised at how crowded the room was. She went through the line, but there were no empty tables! She wandered, looking for an empty seat where she could ask to join someone, but hadn't had luck until she saw an extremely handsome man wave her over.
Molly stood still for a minute staring at him. She looked behind her to see if there could be someone else he was waving to. Seeing nobody, she looked back at him, and he smiled at her. She took a deep breath and walked over to the man's table.
"Good morning. My name is Mason, would you like to join me?"
"Thank you." Molly sat down, placing her tray on the table. "I'm Molly."
"It's nice to meet you, Molly. If you don't think me rude, I'll continue to read. I have so little time to read, and I really enjoy it."
Molly smiled, "Not at all. I love to read, too, and I have my book with me."
Mason motioned as if he were making a toast with his book, they both shared a laugh, and read their books and ate their breakfasts.
Molly was hungry and ate quickly—she was a Weasley after all. She held up her book in a pretense of reading, since she found it difficult to concentrate on both food and words. She used the opportunity to study Mason. He had curly dark hair, glasses, and bright blue eyes—he was bloody gorgeous.
She finished her breakfast, still surreptitiously watching Mason, and found her book couldn't pull her interest away from studying him. She still pretended to read to have an excuse to sit there longer. She was itching to twirl a finger through the curl that was falling over his forehead, but took a sip of tea instead.
Something crashed into her from behind, and Molly jumped, her teacup flying out of her hand. She turned to see what had hit her. There was a chair from the table behind her pushed into hers, and the presumably former occupant hurrying away without even saying sorry. Molly harrumphed and looked back at Mason, who was now standing, a large wet spot of tea staining the crotch of his trousers.
"I'm so sorry!" Molly quickly grabbed napkins from the dispenser and began blotting the stain, trying to be helpful. Molly didn't think about what she was actually doing until Mason stiffened . . . in more than one way. He stopped her hand and choked, "I've got it."
Molly felt the Weasley blush burning her face. She started to stammer apologies, but gave up and fled.
Molly ran all the way to her room, not even stopping when she heard someone calling her name. It couldn't be her they were calling; she didn't know anyone in Greece. Molly made it to her room, slammed and bolted the door behind her, and started to cry.
She hadn't even had time for a proper cry before there was a knock at her door. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and cautiously unbolted and opened the door.
"Molly, you look like you've been crying!"
"Dominique!" Molly shrieked. "What are you doing here?" She pulled her cousin into the room, closing and rebolting the door behind her.
"My boss sent me since the person who was supposed to be here has Dragon Pox. I've never heard of anyone getting Dragon Pox as an adult before, but I got a free trip out of it so I'm not complaining. Now, do you want to tell me why you're crying, and why you were running through the lobby as if you were being chased by a nundu?"
Molly sighed and told Dominique what had happened.
Dominique listened patiently, and burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing at me?"
"Oh, Molly. Are you a Gryffindor or aren't you?"
"What do you mean by that?" Molly's eyes narrowed.
"I mean, Gryffindors are supposed to be brave! You were obviously attracted to this bloke, and rubbing his bits." Dominique choked back a laugh. "You could have suggested the two of you go somewhere private to sort out his problem."
"Oh, is that what a Hufflepuff would have done? You aren't brave."
"No, but we're friendly." Dominique winked.
"Dominique! I don't even know his last name!"
"I wasn't aware a last name was a requirement for 'robe cleaning.'"
"He was wearing trousers." Molly rolled her eyes at Dominique's intonation.
"Trousers, robes, whatever. Help the man out."
"Dominique!" Molly whined, feeling her face get hot.
"What? He was obviously attracted to you, too, judging by the . . . physical evidence," Dominique giggled, "and you said you were attracted to him. You are two consenting adults, and you have your own hotel room."
"I have my own flat, too. What's the hotel room matter?"
"Molly, Molly, Molly." Dominique shook her head. "Ask him if you can buy him a coffee. Or accept his offer of another tea, or a drink later in the evening when he's had a chance to change. Flirt, for Merlin's sake! You do know how to flirt, don't you? Even better, go off to your private hotel room and have a great shag once he's undressed. Then fall madly in love, and . . ."
Molly had crossed her arms and was glaring daggers at Dominique.
"OK, then. Why don't we forget this entire conversation and do some sightseeing and shopping. Shopping is always good therapy."
"But only if you promise we can go to at least one museum!" Dominique nodded, so Molly reluctantly agreed.
~*~
Molly examined herself in the mirror—she looked as if she were going to a ball with the hair and make-up charms Dominique had cast on her. Except she was wearing Chudley Cannons pajamas. "You need to teach me these charms," Molly looked towards Dominique who was sitting on the bed finishing her own manicure. "I never thought of wearing this color lipstick before, but I really like it."
"I can teach you! Maman always told me I inherited her knack for color. I'm glad you like it." Dominique finished with a flourish of her wand. "There!" She scrambled off the bed and joined Molly at the mirror. "Looking this good, we should get dressed and go out on the town, not just sit in your hotel room."
Molly giggled. "You're probably right, but I only brought work robes with me. Well, work robes and the jeans I wore today. Besides, it was fun exploring today, but I'm not sure we should wander around Athens at night."
Dominique shrugged. "As long as you promise to go to a club with me sometime soon when we're home."
"OK," Molly nodded and sat down cross-legged on the bed. With one last glance in the mirror, Dominique joined her.
"I know you said 'OK' but we need to get you out more. Have you gone out with anyone since Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Molly crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm sorry, Molly. I only meant that I know The Tosser really hurt you, and I hoped you weren't still sworn off men."
Molly sighed. "No, I've gone out. There was a bloke in my department when I first started, and we went out a few times, but he felt much more strongly for me than I did for him, and he left the department when I told him that."
"Why haven't I heard about this before? That would have been more than a year ago!"
"He really wasn't worth mentioning, honestly. I did tell you about the man Dad introduced me to."
"Yes." Dominique rolled her eyes. "At least he became a friend."
Molly nodded.
Dominique asked hesitantly, "But you were really attracted to this Mason?"
Molly huffed. "Changing. The. Subject."
Dominique gave a resigned sigh. "OK, fine."
"What was your favorite piece of art in the museum today?"
"Seriously? Art?" Dominique shook her head. "I liked the Poseidon statue, since it was funny."
"How is Poseidon funny?"
"I would think a god would be more well-endowed."
"Dominique!" Molly burst out laughing.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"No, you're right."
"I mean, the artist sculpted this big, strong man with a great, muscly chest," Dominique fanned herself, "but you look lower and see miniscule bits." Dominique held her thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart. "He's mismatched!"
Molly fell sideways on the bed seized by fits of the giggles.
"Don't you agree?"
Still laughing, Molly choked out, "Yes." She sat back up. "Obviously, a serious discussion about art won't be possible with you, so why don't you teach me the charms. I'll eventually need to re-create this look without your help."
~*~
The next morning, Molly insisted they find where they needed to be on Monday morning before anything else. Including eating. She was never returning to the hotel restaurant. Thankfully they found everything easily and decided to arrive early to be able to sit where they wanted. The room contained the largest oval table either Dominique or Molly had ever seen—they didn't want to get stuck not sitting next to each other.
They found a nearby café for coffee and rolls for breakfast.
"We went to two museums yesterday, and didn't actually do any shopping."
Molly laughed. "You're right, you humored me yesterday. Shopping it is!"
~*~
Molly had more fun shopping than she thought she would. She and Dominique tried on dress robes they could never afford, and went into the Muggle part of Athens to try on ridiculously expensive clothes there, too. They did buy a few owl souvenirs, had an authentic local lunch, and a long walk along the water, where they found another small family-owned restaurant for more delicious local cuisine. They went back to their own rooms early for a good night's rest, Molly went over everything she would need to know for the next day, then went over it all three more times just to be sure.
Finally satisfied, she went to her bag for her novel, but it wasn't there. She must have left it behind when she fled from Mason. Molly sighed.
~*~
Molly was just finishing getting ready when there was a knock on her door.
"Dominique!"
"Good morning. I brought breakfast from that cute little café." She held up the bag.
"I know how much you hate getting up early, so thank you."
Dominique shrugged. "I know I wasn't going to get you back into the cafeteria, either, and I was hungry, so not entirely altruistic." They both laughed.
They ate quickly and went to their meeting. There weren't many people there, yet, so they easily found seats together and began conversations with the people who sat near them.
Molly was so engrossed talking to the American Liaison sitting next to her, she didn't realize the meeting was about to start until a gavel sounded. An elderly gentleman stood up at one end of the oval and began what Molly was sure was a standard welcoming speech. Dominique poked her and slid over her notebook.
Ugh. Boring already.
Molly picked up her pen and wrote in Dominique's notebook.
PAY ATTENTION
Molly saw Dominique roll her eyes at her before turning her attention back to the front. The elderly gentleman was introducing the man who would be his successor since he was retiring. As the man stood up, Molly dropped her pen, and immediately ducked under the table. She wondered if she could stay there for the entire meeting.
Dominique appeared under the table with Molly a second later, looking at her curiously. Molly picked up her pen, showed Dominique, and they both sat up again.
Molly looked at Mason who was now speaking, and noticed the moment he saw her. She didn't know if she was imagining it or not, but she thought his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than what would be normal for eye contact while speaking to a group. She pulled Dominique's notebook towards her and wrote in it.
THAT'S HIM
Dominque read Molly's note and wrote back.
Mason?
Molly didn't bother with a written response, but nodded.
You'll be fine. Don't let his presence here mess you up.
Molly nodded again. She'd been nervous anyway since she was here for the first time and making a presentation on behalf of all of Great Britain. Technically, that's why Dominique was here, too, except she represented France, but she didn't have to worry since France had absolutely no chance of hosting the next Quidditch World Cup since they had just been hosts.
Molly realized Mason was giving instructions as to how things would be done today.
" . . . alphabetical order by country to present your Ministry's reasons for wishing to be the hosts for the next World Cup. We will start with Albania."
At least the presentations couldn't be longer than three minutes, Molly thought. She listened as all of the representatives of countries wishing to host the Quidditch World Cup made their case. After Finland, Mason called a break. Dominique's presentation would be next when they came back from break.
Molly grabbed Dominique's hand and dragged her into the nearest restroom, pulling her into a corner and hissing, "What do you think?"
"I think I really need to pee, OK?"
"OK." Molly decided she rather needed the loo herself, and went into the stall next to Dominique's.
When they both emerged and washed their hands, Dominique pulled Molly back into "their" corner and whispered, "Mason is definitely fit! I can see why he would have made you nervous."
"Yeah," Molly answered. "But I didn't think I'd see him again at all, and especially not at work! And he's helping to run these days of meetings!"
"Don't worry. I'm here with you. I can back up whatever you want to say, or help you escape, or I can make myself scarce if things go better than expected."
"Thanks, Dominique. I guess we should get back out there as you're up next."
~*~
After the break, Mason settled everyone down, and called on Dominique to speak for France.
Molly quickly squeezed Dominique's hand under the table before she stood up to speak.
Dominique introduced herself and gave her department and official title in both English and French.
Show off, Molly thought, rolling her eyes.
"Since France hosted the last Quidditch World Cup, we know there is no chance of hosting the next one—which is why, as the most junior member of the department, I was allowed to come." Dominique sat down, to scattered applause and laughter, the only person who had not used the entire three minutes.
Molly and Dominique shared a smile. Molly was secretly glad there were other countries in between France and Great Britain, so she didn't have to follow the funniest presentation yet.
When her turn came, Mason called on her as he had every other person, but did Molly detect something different in his voice? She was imagining things. She took a deep breath, thankful she had reviewed what she was going to say far more than was truly necessary, and delivered her piece flawlessly, making eye contact with everyone in the room except Mason. She couldn't quite manage that much poise.
~*~
The remainder of the day continued in the same vein. Molly grabbed Dominique's hand and ran for the loo during each break, and fled the building immediately when the day ended for dinner. Lunch was brought in while they continued hearing presentations.
As she was fleeing at the end of the day, Molly thought she heard Mason calling her name, but didn't stop to check, still moving in spite of Dominique's protests.
When they were back at their hotel, Molly told Dominique, "I'm going to change into jeans, and we can find somewhere Muggle to have dinner."
"Molly, if a gorgeous man were calling my name, I would be running towards him, not away from him. You are a blight on the name of Gryffindor."
Molly stuck out her tongue at Dominique. "You, being a Hufflepuff, do not get to comment. If you shut it about Mason and go eat somewhere Muggle with me, I'll buy."
"We'll let's go then!"
~*~
The next morning, Molly and Dominique were among the first to arrive in the conference room. There were name plates with flags in them for the liaison of each country. Molly was very thankful to see Great Britain's flag next to France's. As she and Dominique took their places, she thought it looked like the flags were placed where each country's liaison had been sitting the previous day.
Dominique struck up a conversation with the liaison from Lichtenstein seated two places down from her. Molly examined the name plate. She had never had a name plate before and rather liked it. She saw something sticking out from underneath it and slid out a folded piece of paper. Molly opened the paper.
Molly,
I have your book and would like to return it.
Μνάσων
(Mason)
Molly poked Dominique in the arm and passed the note to her. Dominique excused herself from her conversation with the bloke form Lichtenstein, who looked annoyed.
She whispered to Molly, "So? You'll get your book back. That's good, right?"
"I guess."
"For Merlin's sake! Channel your inner Gryffindor and go talk to him! He just walked in." Dominique returned to Lichtenstein.
Molly took a deep breath. She was a Gryffindor after all. She walked across the room, tapped Mason on the shoulder, and said, "Hi. I got your note."
"Hi Molly!" Mason smiled at her. "Here's your book." He removed it from his bag and handed it to her.
"Thank you." Molly turned to leave, but Mason gently held her arm.
"Er. Do you think we could try meeting again? I mean, our first meeting didn't go badly, it just didn't end well. I mean!" Molly could see Mason starting to blush, which made him even more attractive. "Could we start over?"
Molly smiled. "Yes. Hi, I'm Molly." She extended her book-free hand.
Mason took her hand. "Nice to meet you, Molly. Would you like to have dinner with me?"
Molly glanced in Dominique's direction, and saw Dominique's back as she was leaving the room holding hands with Lichtenstein. "Yes, I would like that."