This woman was crazy. Not crazy in the normal, everybody has a quirk kind of crazy, but actual certifiable crazy. She belonged in a ward at Mungo’s for Merlin’s sake. Ed wasn’t used to fans. He had never really been the famous, recognized on the streets type. And for the majority of the wizarding world, he still wasn’t. For some reason, this woman decided that he was worth causing quite the commotion over. Maybe it had something to do with the Prophet’s profile they ran. If this was to be the fallout, Ed’s career doing anything in the public light was going to be as short lived as he hoped this coffee date was. The woman had no idea what personal space was, she kept repeating his name, as if savoring the simplicity of it. Something was a little off, but Ed had the social grace to look past that and not draw attention to any issues.
“Never had coffee? My dear, I am not quite sure you have lived until you have,” the young man said absentmindedly as he waited. Ed stood, impatiently waiting to be seated, standing at the front of the shop no better than on the crowded street as far as avoiding the attention of the general public. When they were finally led to a table in the corner of the shop, Ed felt he could finally breathe. Now at least he was away from everyone’s judging stares. Not that he was unfamiliar with judging stares. He had received them for some time, however normally they came as he was walking the streets with his boyfriend or wearing robes in a more traditional Muggle area, not because his company was acting as though it was the first time they had been out since the war had ended.
Her next question caught him off guard. Famous? So this did have something to do with the papers. He noted the connection and reminded himself to avoid the Prophet and any other news outlets for a while. Best to let everything settle down and avoid drawing attention to himself if this was the consequence of it. “No, no I am quite sure that you are mistaking me for someone else. I am no more famous than any other. I am a mere assistant manager for a local Quidditch team. The papers have a way of making us seem much more important than we are.” Ed flagged down a waitress, ordering two coffee for himself and his guest rather than continue talking to someone who obviously had no idea what was going on.
The candy sucker was an interesting addition. It made her seem almost childlike. Her appearance was youthful, she had the attention span and the social sense of a child, and now she was slobbering over a sucker like she was a witch just starting Hogwarts rather than a contributing member of society. What had he gotten himself in to. Looking for the chance to break off the chance encounter, the young woman’s next quip caught him off guard. What did she mean, ‘make them remember?’ It was no matter, soon enough the coffees would arrive, Ed would drink his and come up with an excuse to break off and head back home. He would certainly be glad to put this whole awkward scene behind him.