| Details for Blind Date at the Blackfiar |
| Summary: | Phil plays Cupid by setting up a Blind Date between Tim and Isobel. |
| Date: | October 5th 1938 |
| Location: | Blackfriars Pub, Black Friar's, London |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Blackfriars Pub London
Sat Oct 05, 1938 ((Sat Oct 05 21:31:07 2013)) (G,4 SE)
It is a fall night. The weather is cool and drizzling.
Decorated in the Arts and Crafts style so common among Victorian era churches, this pub and bar looks more like a place of worship than a place where wharf workers come to enjoy a pint after a shift. The walls are decorated, in both the dining room and bar areas, with sculptures, mosaics, and reliefs of jolly-looking friars, and beautiful stonework around the bar and fireplace. In the dining area, the ceiling is done in small tiles and wood carved signs read sayings like, 'WISDOM IS RARE' and 'HASTE IS SLOW'.
Contents: Isobel Tim
Exits: [O] Black Friar's Bridge
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Tim is a rather introverted guy for the most part so he's picked a place that's close to home and somewhere he's been going to for most of his life, even before he was of age at his father's side some nights when it was decided that Tim needed more manly pursuits, pub crawling was the hobby of choice. Gotta love the Irish! In his grilling of their mutual friend, Phil he also learned of Isobel's Muggle Heritage. So it sealed the deal of his decision on where to meet his blind date. While they went to Hogwarts during the same years, Tim really kept to himself and his studies to be an Auror, so that's most anyone that went to school with him but for maybe a handful of people know about Tim, he likes photography, was going to be an Auror but something happened and he dropped out of training and became a photojournalist for the Daily Prophet instead.
It's outside of the pub that he waits for his blind date. Tim's wearing his old Gryffindor Scarf that just looks like a red and gold striped scarf to the unknowing. A cigarette in one gloved hand that he casually smokes as he waits, eyes scanning through the cool drizzle. His dark red hair darker with the damp and clinging to his face. Obviously not a guy that is overly worried about his appearance.
A pleasently cool night. Or so it is for Isobel. It's perfect for her. Reminds her of home. She has dressed herself in a soft, light blue sweater and a long grey skirt. Her feet, as usual, are not adorned in shoes or socks, completely bare. And her hair, much like that of Tim's, is starting to cling to her face and to her forehead. She putters down the street toward the agreed meeting place. She was slightly surprised at the mention of a muggle establishment, but it wasn't entirely an unpleasant suggestion. She quite liked the idea, in fact. And so it is that she makes the quick approach to the restaurant.
Tim lifts his face to knock his scarf down onto his chest, further away from his face. Brown hair, big beautiful eyes… "Isobel?" In the greeting at least he's doing his bet to get the Irish lilt out of his words. The Cigarette is dropped into the ash can pedestal by the door and he steps forward with a little last nervous gulp before he offers her a hopeful but shy smile.
"Tim?" Isobel asks, approaching and giving him a kind smile. "It's good ta meet…see ya again, after so many year." Though, grant it, they didn't really know each other all too well back at Hogwarts. Her accent is quite apparent, making it obvious of her Scottish descent.
Tim plucks off one glove quickly to offer it out to her to shake. "Aye, pleasure, ye look very lovely." He genuinely compliments. Tim is the sort of bloke that can find such mundane things like a bag blowing about in the wind as a stunningly beautiful thing. So there's no candle to a beauty like Isobel, even a soggy Isobel. After the shake, if his hand is taken he'll guide her hand to his elbow so that he can escort her to the the door and open it for her. "Our t.table is all the wh.way…" He pauses to chew on his tongue and just take a breath. "In the back. Below the happy friar mosaic."
A slight blush appears on Isobel's cheeks at the compliment. "Well, you're mighty handsome yourself." She says in a soft tone, her words sounding sincere as she gazes upon Tim with interest. "It really is good ta see ya again. Shame we never got ta know each other as well back at school." She chirps happily. She reaches out a hand of her own to shake Tim's offered hand, and lets it be guided to his elbow. She smiles softly, walking along with him, letting him take his time to get the words out. She doesn't seem to mind the slight stutter. She actually chuckles at the mention of being below a mosaic of a happy friar. "Well now, that'll take me back ta our Hogwarts days. The Fat Friar was my favourite ghost, an' nae jus' 'cause I was a Hufflepuff!" She murmurs to him, being sure not to have any muggles hear her words. If they did, they might imagine that she'd taken to the drink a bit much already that evening.
Tim seems to grow more at ease when Isobel takes the first bout of his nervous stammering in stride. Which of course makes the stammer more mild. His lilt also becomes a bit more pronounced as the sing-song nature of his Irish Accent help him conquer the speech impediment. As he moves to stand next to her chair and hold out his hands in a manner to offer help with her jacket he leans in to increase the light conspiracy of what he's about to say, "Dinnae tell Nick, but the Fat Friar was one of me favorites too." He goes through the gentlemanly gestures of helping her get settled into place before he takes off his gloves and jacket himself and settles down across from her at their little private two-top pub table with the tall chairs and tables. The happy friar's tiled face grinning down at them like some cherub.
Allowing Tim to help her with her seat and jacket, Isobel grins. "Donnae worry. It'll be a secret jus' betwixt the two o' us." She gives him a playful wink and takes her seat. She looks up at the little friar for a moment, taking in its features. She chuckles and shakes her head, focusing once again back on Tim. "So, Tim, what do ya get yourself up ta these day, mm?"
Tim gives Isobel a rather boyishly charming smile though it's obvious he's chewing a bit on his tongue after that playful wink of hers. He knows that's going to send him stammering. Thankfully the barmaid saves the day and she gives a familiar smile and nod to Tim. The maid has a look that is a bit on the surprised side that he's got company of the female persuasion. Obviously she's not used to that. Not bothering to ask Tim what he would like she instead focuses on the Scotswoman. "What can I get you?" In the meanwhile Tim does busy himself with pulling out a small photo album from his trench jacket. He rests it on the table and gives it a little slide towards Isobel. The cover says Portfolio and within is a selection of his work. It's a little on the light side because it's the Muggle Safe portfolio, so it's only got still black and white and sepia tone pictures in it.
"I'll have m'self a double scotch on the rocks, thank ya." Isobel says with a smile to the barmaid. Once the barmaid is away, she takes a look down at the album that has been nudged over to her. She opens it up and starts flipping through the pictures. She looks at each one carefully in turn. She doesn't seem to take notice, or mind, that the pictures are still. Though being muggle-born, that should be no surprise. She even has still pictures within her home. "These are quite good, Tim. Really." She says as she glances up at him. "You've got talent, tha's for sure!"
Tim blushes under the compliment and he clears his throat a little. "Thank yee. Just ss.somethin' I've always had a passion for. There's another album wif more fanciful tings… ss.save th.that one for later tho." There's that shy smile again. "So mostly that, work at the paper still… with Philly." He adds that last bit to affirm how he knows said mutual friend that played cupid.
"Well, I'd say ya've got a good passion, then. Ya've taken the good route as far as work. The paper's lucky ta have ya workin' for 'em." Isobel offers another smile to him. "I look forward ta seein' more of what ya've done." She gives a little nod to the mention of Phil. "Ah, aye. That wily lass." She chuckles. She glances around the pub just briefly. "How'd ya find this place? If ya donnae mind my askin', o' course."
Tim chuckles a little and grows a hint awkward at the further talk about Phil. "Wily, that's a word." He nods and then leans back when the barmaid returns with her scotch and his pint of dark Irish dry stout (Guinness), the drinks also come with a cheese platter that's served with olives, crackers and garnish. Three cheeses being a Whiskey Cheddar that is made with Scotch Whiskey, Mature Irish Cheddar and some salami. "I swapped the Stilton for Salami in case there's a kiss in the future." The maid teases with a wink and it makes Tim shyly duck his head before he clears his throat and asks a touch meekly, still recovering from the embarrassment. "They have good Fish n.n.n' Chips, Fried Onion strings, Short Ribs wif a good sss.stout glaze…" The barmaid is so used to just getting Tim his usual she neglected to bring menus so Tim acts as a menu.
Luckily the barmaid does return, thus easing Isobel having to come up with a quick change of subject. "Well…tha's mighty…mighty kind o' ya, miss." She smiles at the barmaid. Turning back to Tim, she tilts her head a little. "Tha' all sounds quite nice." She says, thinking them over for a while. "Though it looks like we've a good spread o' food for a lil, leavin' us some time ta decide on anythin' else we may want." She says once he has listed off some of the foods, still not seeming to mind the stammer. "The paper given ya any interestin' jobs o' late?"
Tim gives his blind date a bit of a smile and it's clear that he's people watching her as she interacts with the waitress. He nods agreeing with her and gives the maid a polite dismissive nod. She takes the hint and nods to them both and goes off on her merry way to other tables. "Nae really. Which gives m.me plenny time to work on me art. So cannae complain there. Nuff bout me tho, wot yee been up to all these years in the real world?"
"Me? The real world? Oh, nothin' as interestin' as what ya've been up ta, no doubt." Isobel grins. "Nae a thing too much o' note. I bumped 'round the Ministry a bit. Did some secretarial work. I found my place, though. I'm workin' as an Examiner for the Department o' Magical Education." She shrugs a little. "It's good work. I enjoy it. Well, I'm sure ya remember those who did our practical examinations, back in the day. I'm one o' those. Most o' the year drags on, but it's worth it ta help this kids an' see how they do." (RE)
Tim listens and smiles a little as she fills him in. When she brings up the examiners he had he can't help but playfully make a bit of a face. "Good thing me examiners were all ol' wrinkled men. If I 'ad yee, I wouldn't have been able to g.get a ss.spell out." It's a compliment as he also makes fun of the stammer being around her causes him. He stakes up a cracker with a bit of cheese and an olive and then bites it in half, washing it gown with his Guinness. "I ff.found this place at me Da's knee. I live righ up the road. Can t.take the Irishman out o Ireland, but yee cannae take the pub out o the Irishmmm.man." He chews at his tongue self consciously but he's also smiling at his little joke. (RE)
Taking one of the crackers and cheese for herself, chewing on it while she listens to Tim, Isobel giggle a little. "Well, tha's kind o' ya ta say. I suppose it's a good think I'd nae ever be your examiner then. It's jus' a shame tha' the wrinkled ol' men got ta see your potential in spell castin' an' I didnae get ta." She says with a soft smile. She chuckles at his joke. "Is tha' what they say 'bout ya Irishmen, then? Does tha' mean ya know more pubs ta boot? If so, you'll have ta show me 'em!" She grins and eats another bit of cheese and cracker.
Tim scratches at a big of his ginger scruff along his jaw with that boyish shy grin. "Well, little known fact, tha when an Irishman finds a pub tha'e really likes. Well that may as well become's home. So beyond Friar's and a wee place in Ireland…I am afraid I'll nae be much help at.t.toll." He was doing so well there until he watched her nibble some more cheese and got distracted by the way her lips moved when she nibbled.
"Well now, I learned somethin' new this evenin'. Thank ya for tha', good sir Tim." Isobel bows her head ever so slightly. "Now, I may have ta double check with Professor Mopsus, bu' should this evenin' tend to go well, which by all means it seems ta be doin', perhaps there'll be a lil trip ta Ireland in our future. I am always on the lookout for a good new pub." By all means she is telling a joke, she chuckles softly and there's a playful glint in her eye. But one can't always be sure with Isobel. "So now, Tim, is there anythin' in particular ya've nae taken a picture o' yet tha' you've really been wantin' to take a picture o'?"
Tim chokes a little bit on his cracker and cheese. Granted he's aware she has no idea what she's asking about, it's just the implication of things going well followed by her desire to see the most sacred of Moody Pub houses just caught him by surprise a little bit. After a swig of Guinness he's perfectly fine and with a light tone and little smile. "Things would have to be g.goin' really well Miss Isobel, it's a bit of a family secret an' pub. A lass gets taken there for the final approval process. So t.t.ta speak." He blushes more and more as he talks and then hides behind his pint glass with another chug. "Hmm… before tonight?" He says with a smile as he pointedly looks at her. He's been cursing his lack of a camera several times tonight.
"Ya alrigh' there?" Isobel asks at the choking. She has her wand partly out of its pocket before she realizes that she's in a muggle pub. Not that she's actually ever used the anti-choking spell before. But when it all gets cleared up, she smiles softly, relieved that he's alright. "Please, jus' Isobel's fine." She chirps lightly. At mention of it being a family secret, of it being a place to find final approval of a person, she blushes deeply. "Ah. Aye. Well, I suppose we'll have to…to see quite how well this goes." She tucks a stray tuft of hair behind her right ear andtakes a long sip of her scotch. "Well…I suppose b'fore tonight, aye." If it were possible, she blushes an even darker shade of red.
Tim can't stop grinning. He's all smiles and flushed bright red himself and he has another cracker piled in a particular order with on of the little pickles that comes with the plate too. "The Baba Yaga School, the one the Russian wizards an' witches go too. When I heard their school wha-walks around on chicken legs…I was so bloody jealous of the Russians."
"They've got a school tha' walks on chicken legs?!" Isobel practically guffaws at the thought. "Jus' imagine the transfiguration an' charm work tha' would've had ta go inta tha'! Let alone how spectacular the sight must be!" She shakes her head. "It mus' be quite the site. I must admit, I'm a titch jealous m'self!"
Tim nods along agreeing with her, he feels the exact same way. "Aye, so tha's the one thing I can think of tha I would lll.love to capture with a snap. All the Magical Schools really. When I retire, might make a collection for a gallery… retire, travel the world, take pictures of the Magical School. Among othar things. Of cuh-course."
"I'm sure that'd be so very fascinatin' ta do, goin' ta the different schools. Seein' them. Takin' pictures o' 'em." Isobel nod along, picking up a cheese and cracker and nibbling on it. "I'd be lyin' if I said I've nae thought o' what other magical schools there are out there. I'd nae mind seein' a few o' them for m'self." She says with the tiniest of smiles.
Tim tilts his head as something occurs to him, "Now, I b.beg complete ignorance here…but wot do yee do between exam times? Does it take long to put together wot yee are going to put the weans through?" At least he prefaced the question with the fact he knows it's completely daft!
Taking a sip of her drink, Isobel shrugs. "Well, there's always paperwork ta be done. We go through the previous exams we've put to the students an' make sure the exams we plan on givin' them in the up comin' exam season donnae match with ones in previous years. We change the exams. Ask differen' questions or change the wordin' of the questions, but 'em in different places. We sort through years an' years an' years of previous exams. An' then there's people who ask regardin' their exam results from previous years. We can oft help retrieving their exam results, make sure tha' they can have 'em if they need 'em for a job application. Such as a job at the Ministry, or a job with St. Mungo's. For example."
Tim smiles as he nods while genuinely listening and learning, "That makes a lot o sense. Sorry, I know tha was a daft question. I asked mostly to see if yee folks have any sort of vacation time given." Sounds like he's taking mental notes of her availability. Which should be a good sign, right? He does seem to feel quite as ease even if he is stammering now and then.
"Daft? Is it daft tha' a hotel inkeeper asks for money in exchange for a room ta let?" Okay, maybe asking about her job and a hotel inkeeper are two totally different things, but Isobel never says such things without having a point. "It's nae a daft question." She gives him a bright smile. "We do indeed get vacation. Good vacation too, if I do say so m'self." She grins. "Plannin' a vacation for us already?" She gives him another playful wink.
Tim ducks his head when she asks about planning a vacation. "Uhmm…" Oh look, CHEESE! He quickly picks up a piece of cheese and puts it into his mouth and actually looks rather playful as he does some. Mmmm, nomnomnom, waste time, can't answer one way or another with a full mouth, see!
"I see." Isobel says with a sly grin across her face. She finishes off her drink and places the glass near the end of the table, for when the barmaid returns. "Good cheese they've got here, eh?" She takes some more for herself, looking Tim over as she takes a bite of the food.
Tim mmmhmms with a nod and then a thumbs up and other hand gestures that indicate the cheese is spectacular! After he's washed down the gobbled bit of cheese he clears his throat and smiles shyly. "Jus so yee, know I'm nae one o' those types tha plan out the rest of our lives th.thirty minutes into the first date." He does plead meekly, begging her not to get the wrong impression of the vacation thing.
"Donnae worry one bit, Tim." Isobel speaks softly. "I didnae think ya were. I thought it was a bit cute." She leans forward a bit and tilts head head. "If ya ever need a vacation, I know a lovely Inn 'round about the village o' Colbost. Tha's the Isle o' Skye, in Scotland." She gives him the tiniest of knowing nods.
Tim is at least comfortable enough with her to tease her right back, doing as she did to him earlier and pointing out on a wild guess. "Tryin' to g.get muh-me to meet the folks already?" He drowns his playful little smile with guinness. "I just like to travel come Christmas, went to Africa last year…" He drifts off rather quickly and looks a bit panicked, he was told the one thing you don't do on a date is talk about Exes! And that vacation was one spent with his Ex, so he's now afraid he's opened the gateway to faux paux.
"Well, maybe not that Inn, then." Isobel grins and leans back. "Oh, I'd love ta travel. I've never been outside the British Isles. Can ya believe tha'? Not once. Not even ta France or some place like tha'." She shrugs. "Africa must've been interestin'. I'd nae mind goin' there. Or throughout Europe. Or Asia." She wiggles her nose while she thinks for a moment. "Now, they say the colonies are interestin'. I'd nae mind visitin' Canada or the United States o' America."
Tim in a bit of self-mockery gestures to his blush. "Let's just say, I was this shade of rrr.rr.red for a month. Irishman in the African sun…" She sucks in air through closed teeth in a pained wince just at the memory. Tim nods gratefully to the barmaid when she comes over and takes the empties away. "Another?" Tim looks over to her first to see if she's like another round or if she's drawing to being done for the night. What ever Isobel decides he'll second and he's even feeling comfortable enough to continue with the barmaid within range, whereas before he'd wait to talk when she was far back at the bar. "Pick the one place yee'd wish to go the most." He could be serious! He's got plotty face. You don't have to know Tim very long to know when he's got plotty face!
"I'll have another, yes. Except, make it a single, please." Isobel says with a little smile at the barmaid before turning her attention back to Tim. "You were red all the time? How'd a person know if ya were blushin' or not, then?!" She teases him lightly. "Only one place ta pick that I'd like ta go ta the most?" She frowns and shakes her head. "Tha's gonna be difficult!" But she's doing the nose wiggling thing again. "If I had ta pick the place I'd wish ta go ta the most, I'd say it'd have ta be…" She smiles widely, "I'd have ta say that it'd be…India." She seems quite certain of that. "India'd be the place for me. It sounds like such an interestin' an' exotic place!"
Tim stammers through telling her about how lovely he's heard India is, and that it's actually some place that he has not been to yet. Leading to more not very obscured hints that maybe (if things continue to go nice and they don't HATE each other) they could maybe go to India for the Christmas Holiday. All proper and something she can write home about. Two rooms, go as friends sort of deal. It's clear that he's a bit on the old fashioned side. But the cheese and goodies are soon crumbs on the board and their drinks are once again empty. The barmaid brings the bill and he takes it and pays for everything and then goes through the reverse process of helping her get her coat on and off of the high seat and then elbow offered to escort her to the door. "Wuh-Walk ye 'ome? Or-or least to a safe spot to p.p.pop off?" He offers with obvious understanding that she might not want him to know where she lives just yet.
"Very sweet o' ya. It'd be quite the walk ta get me home, though." Isobel's voice is warm and soft. "I live in Hogsmeade." She explains quickly, to show that she is, in fact, not trying to brush him off at all. "Jus' a safe lil place ta apparate would be lovely. Or some place with a fireplace hooked up ta the Floo Network. Bu' some place ta…pop off, as ya say, is probably the easiest." She says with a nod.
Tim guides her outside again and the moment he is outside where the drizzle has gone to London Fog he pulls out a cigg case with handrolled smokes inside and asks, "If yee dinnae mind?" He also offers the case towards her in offering too. When she states her preference he can't help but chuckle at themselves and he lifts up a hand and pinches the bridge of his nose between his eyes and is blushing a hint, "Now, how's th-this for an end t.t.to a night of unintentionally inapp.p.rop.priate suggestions on a-a-a first date…" He looks at her with the same pleading expression for her not to think he's a creeper. "Me house is just a lil walk away, nice warm fireplace there." He almost looks like he could whimper from fear that he's about to get smacked.
Isobel shakes her head. "I donnae mind at all." She smiles. "No thank ya." She responds in kind to the offer of one. "Thank ya for the offer, though." She says with a soft smile. "Bu' perhaps on our next, I'll take ya up on a post dinner smoke." She speaks softly. "I'd like tha'. A good warm fireplace is jus' what this lass could use." She smiles to him and lets him guide her on. No slapping tonight.
Tim busies himself with the ritual of lighting up his cigarette always keeping the elbow he's given her down and not swinging about. Rather steady and reliant is that elbow for her. "Yee have yourself a promise. One next time. Roll it special like. Just for yee." The walk isn't long at all a mere couple of blocks. A wave of his hand opens up the door and he gestures inside of it. A wave of his wand that comes out of his sleeve and the fire gives a little burst to life, all ready and waiting to be used. The rest of the light neglected to make if feel less like she's visiting his house and more just passing through to the fireplace. Once there he puts his half gone cigarette in a ashtray on the mantle and leans against the mantle too. "I will certainly be thh-thanking Philly at work, next I sss.see'r. It was a very nice night…" He nods his head towards Isobel in that genuine comment. Though he's also looking quite nervous, he's heard stories of kissing good-night on the first date, but he's not sure if that's just fancy in stories stuff or… yeah, he's just swallowing and looking a bit awkward, if happily so. "G'nigh Isobel. Was good to have the chance to get to know yee after so long."
"That'd be nice, Tim. A special'n rolled for me." Isobel smiles softly and nods. A little 'ooo' emits from her lips as he opens the door without a wand. It's not often you see people use wandless magic. "It was definitely a nice night, Tim. I'm glad Phil set this up." She says with a kind smile on her face. "I look forward ta the next meetin', certainly." After a moment of standing there, at the fireplace, she figures she should make the first move. "G'nigh', Tim." She plants a soft kiss on his lips, and steps back. Taking a small bag out of a hidden pocket, she pours some floo powder into her hand and ties the bag back up, placing it back in the pocket. "Don' be a stranger now, ya hear?" She throws the powder in the fire, steps in, and says clearly, "Hogsmeade!"