The World Through Three Eyes

"Alright, Shoes?

You'll never guess who Mr Fit is. No, not in a million years. I mean, I'd never have known- he looks totally different. Well, he's still got the dark hair and I suppose the chin is a bit of a giveaway, but apart from that..

Maybe something should've clicked when he said his name was Justin. And if not that, the accent. To be honest, though, I'd forgotten about him completely. Well, it's not like I knew him personally. God knows I would've liked to if I'd known what he'd turn out like, mind you.

Phwoar.....

Am I the luckiest girl in the world, Shoes? Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES."

I woke up with a mixture of excitement, nervousness and a mild hangover. Of course, the hangover was easy enough to cure thanks to modern magic. What proved harder to get rid of was the name 'Justin' running through my head, causing a heart rate like a German techno track on fast-forward.

'Boom-boom-boom-boom-chish-boom-boom-Justin-boom-chish-boom!'

Like the day before, I dressed carefully, this time in a white top. Well, white was necessary. Wear something like red or black, and you'll give off the wrong signals. Wear white with a plunging neckline, however and you'll give off the wrong signals in the right ways. He won't think you're a slut, you see- just a very, very sexy lady.

Which is exactly what I was planning to be. I had a good half hour of palmistry to get to know him- every line and crease on his beautiful palms...

".....really is the most amazing, incredible bloke. I just know there's something really special there between us- of course, that's my inner eye. I sensed such wonderful things in him, you know- strength amongst gentleness, morals, intellect.. And did I mention he's got a really nice arse? Well, anyway.

Will a tall, dark stranger be entering his life soon? Over my dead body. She can just move over, Shoes- Justin is mine."

I never knew time could move so slowly as it did that morning. I had Fantine Malfoy scheduled for the Full Monty- that's palm reading, tea leaves, star chart and crystal ball. Miss Malfoy's a nightmare, too. A normal full Divination package would last about two hours- with Fantine it lasted three. From nine 'til twelve I had her screeching away at me, breathing down my neck. At about half-ten, when I had told her she wasn't going to have children, (understandable- she's a right sour-faced old cow) she burst into floods of tears and started smashing everything in sight. It took four of us to calm her down and I lied through my teeth for the rest of her appointment.

Yes, Miss Malfoy, you certainly will marry Art Avalanche from the Weird Sisters. Of course you'll become a championship Quidditch player! You'll be very rich too, much richer than your brother and so much more successful!

At ten-past twelve I finally managed to get her out of the door and took the next fifteen minutes to recover. I was just sipping the last of my tea, in which the leaves made an arrow shape for Love of course; when Eustace came flapping in giggling madly.

"Mr Fit!" she gasped. "You have an appointment with Mr Fit!"

"No, Stace," I said calmly, speaking as one might to a pitiful mortal who did not know the Divine Truth. "His name is Justin."

I left her standing there with her mouth wide open as I sauntered out to meet my Mr Fit. I found him by the Reception desk where I had met him the day before, looking tasty in black and a pair of obviously expensive sunglasses.

I wasn't quite sure how to approach him. The friendly way was good, but I didn't want to scare him off by smiling too much. I could play the mysterious, sexy Diviner but that was all a bit cliché now. Or I could let Lavender Brown, class A gobshite do the talking for herself.. Realising that I was standing there with my mouth open, deep in thought I decided to go with the last approach. Well, don't they always tell you to Be Yourself?

"Morning!" I threw him a sunny smile. "Palm reading?"

He nodded and I led him a table in the corner, far away from anyone else. This was obviously unintentional..

As we sat down, he took off the sunglasses and stared at me, looking a little baffled. I would have taken note of his expression, only I was drowning in his eyes by then. He does that to me, Justin does.

"Sorry, don't mean to be rude but I have to ask," he said in that lovely, elegant tone.

Ask? Ask what? Was this it- the date, already? What would I say- do I say 'yes' straight away or play hard to get? Or was I just being stupid again?

"Did you go to Hogwarts?"

Oh.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been a bit weird for him to ask me there and then. I suppose Fate understood that and decided that he would either ask me later or never.

"Yes. Did you?"

He narrowed his eyes again, squinting at me.

"Are you... Lavender Brown?"

I nodded, absolutely flabberghasted. He knew who I was and where I went to school? Wasn't that a bit.. creepy considering I hadn't the faintest who he was apart from knowing that we were star-crossed?

But this weird thing came into my head, a memory or something. A boy that looked like him in yellow Quidditch robes was walking towards the pitch, dragging his broom behind him. The broom tripped me up and the boy knelt down, offering a hand.

'Awfully sorry!' he'd said with a familiarly dazzling smile. He looked like he was about to say something else when a yellow-robed girl with pigtails called out to him.

'Get a move on, Justin!'

Justin?

It dawned on me.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

He nodded and held out a hand, just as he had in sixth year. As I took it, I definitely felt A Connection between us. I mean it, sparks were flying.

"Well met, Lavender! You pursued the Divination then, I see? I've got a job at the Ministry doing.. what was it? Oh, I always forget- ah yes, Misuse of Muggle Artefacts with Arthur Weasley."

The way we were going, we could have talked for the whole half hour and if he hadn't reminded me, I would have.

"... Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, Shoes! I bet he does some really exciting things...

Hey, d'y'reckon he's saved anybody's life? I bet he's really brave. But not- you know, two-dimensional like Action Man. Mind you, he looks a bit like an Action Hero... That strong jaw and those bright blue eyes....

Don't even get me started on that body."

He had such beautiful palms. A strong, long Life-line and a perfect Love-line. It looked like Fate smiled upon him- not that I could blame Her. I couldn't help grinning every time he looked up at me either.

"Am I about to be whisked off my feet by a tall, dark stranger?" he asked with a mocking smile.

No. But I am.

"I'd need a crystal ball to tell you that," I muttered, tracing the creases in his fingers. "But I'm sensing that you might meet a nice, short blonde girl instead.."

"Like you?" he gave me a sly grin, provoking a smile from me.

"I don't know what gave you that idea," I said, tossing my golden locks. "Now pay attention. This is your Money-line and by the looks of things you're going to be pretty rich."

"Oh," he said. "I don't care too much for money-"

"- Money can't buy me love," I interrupted, and we finished our sentences at the same time. I groaned good-naturedly at his attempt at humour, which he returned with an apologetic shrug.

"It's a classic!" he protested, trying to defend himself. This sparked off a long conversation into which we fitted as many Beatles lyrics as possible.

"Semolina pilchards-" I began as we dissolved into fits of laughter. All the old bags and the Diviner girls stared at us disapprovingly. For one thing, most of them didn't come from Muggle backgrounds like Justin and me and would have never even heard of the Beatles. So, in their defence it may well have seemed odd to hear a Diviner telling her client that she was The Walrus. It's also not very often you see Diviners bonding with their clients and certainly not laughing like kids with them. We're supposed to be dead serious, you see.

"I've really enjoyed this," he said as he handed me his money. "You know, I thought there'd be a lot of mystic mumbo-jumbo and I'd leave being told that I was going to die tomorrow. But you- this was great!"

"Come again," I told him with the slightest trace of a wink. "I might have a look into a crystal ball for you and tell you about that short, blonde lady.."

"No need," Justin lowered his sunglasses, looking into my eyes. I thanked Fate for placing the delightful Mr Finch-Fletchley into my path. "Are you busy tonight? Only Ernie Macmillan's got this bloody brilliant restaurant now and I thought.. if you weren't busy, of course-"

"I'm not busy!" I cried, almost too quickly. I couldn't believe my luck at all. Me, going on a date with Him! Only great things could happen from now on. "I mean, I'd love to- if you're not busy. Oh wait, you're not busy are you, or you wouldn't have asked. They call me gobshite," I added, realising I was rambling a bit. "I can't imagine why."

He grinned.

"So I'll see you at seven-thirty outside The Leaky Cauldron?"

I nodded.

"Goodbye," I murmured, floating away on cloud-nine.

"Well," he threw me a last grin as he stepped out. "You say goodbye and I say hello."

It was only then that I looked at the clock and realised our appointment had over-ran by forty minutes. How could that have happened?

"So, until tomorrow, mes chaussures. Am I going to knock Finch-Fletchley dead or what?"