(1939-08-01) After a Long Week
Details for After a Long Week
Summary: It's been a difficult week in the wizarding world, and a handful of witches and wizards just want to relax with a drink.
Date: 1 August, 1939
Location: The Leaky Cauldron
Related:
Characters
KahrenCyrilBaileyOscarReece

It has been a long and exhausting week for everyone at the hospital, and topping it off with an injured celebrity and an antagonistic hitwizard hasn't helped. At the moment - Kahren could use a few drinks, and that's easy enough to pull off when she enters the Leaky Cauldron and is spotted by Reece.

"Why, if it isn't the famous Kahren Umbridge! What'll it be tonight, Kahren? Wine or rum? It's on the house," the bartender calls cheerfully.

"Oh, I appreciate it Reece. A rum tonight, if you could."

Cyril Malfoy, infamous owner of The Hoard and well-known rich man-about-town is sitting quietly in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron, those golden irises running over the day's Daily Prophet when Kahren comes in. He looks up from his paper and gives her a smile and a nod of his head, before calling out, "Reece? Do you think I could get a refill of my brandy?"

Bailey steps in from the rear courtyard, shedding her overcloak to hang it up on a peg on the wall. Like so many, she has a generally worn and weary look about her, though the sight of the bartender brings a restrained smile to her face. "Good evening, Reece. Can I get a brandy, with a drop of…whatever you've got that will take worries away." The barman nods knowingly, reaching under the bar for his collection of specialised potions. He selects a phial containing a pale yellow liquid, bearing the tiny label: Liquid Mellow. A single drop is added to her brandy as he pours it. She gives him a grateful nod, taking the drink. She notes Kahren nearby, and lifts the brandy toward her, perhaps recognising the mutual exhaustion. "Slainte," she toasts, taking her first sip.

Cyril is given a brief smile before Kahren lands herself at the bar, picking up her drink. "Slainte" she agrees, tipping her drink towards Bailey before a sip of her own. "What's it mean?" she asks in a curious tone. She's much rather speak about languages that think about everything that's happened over the course of the week.

Oscar seems rather jolly when he walks in the front door of the cauldron, looking as if for once this summer he's just had an all together pleasant day. Though he's clearly wearing muggle clothing, proud of his own heritage, as he makes for the bar, a small yellow and black scarf hiked over his shoulder for luck. His pants have a thin layer of dirt from a long day of work, but he can't seem to care less as he sits a few coins onto the counter top, trying to think to himself what he might have to drink.

Cyril collects up his glass and sets his paper down before moving toward the bar where Reece promptly tops him off, "You know, Reece, one day I'm going to have to steal you away from this place." The Malfoy man flashes a charming smile in the man's direction before silently toasting him and taking a sip from his glass. A glance at Oscar and he slides the coins back towards the boy, saying, "Reece, everyone here drinks on me, tonight." Seems someone's in a rather jolly mood tonight.

"It's Irish. Means…good health? I think?" Bailey shrugs. "I had an Irish boyfriend once, for about three days. He said it a lot. We…did a lot of drinking." She smirks, ducking her face with mild embarrassment. Though Cyril's generosity draws her attention up, and for a moment his unusual golden eyes catch her off guard, and she stares. "Oh…ah, that's very kind of you. Thank you." She lifts her glass again, this time toasting Cyril. "Slainte."

Kahren can't help but laugh in response to Bailey's explanation, flashing the other woman an amused smile. "Fair enough," she agrees. "And it's not a bad way to pass the time, sometimes - especially in good company." She rather wishes Arthur were here - he's always good company for a drink but, well…

"Very generous, thank you," Kahren agrees with Bailey, as she smiles towards Cyril. "To your health," she adds, before taking another sip of her rum.

Oscar thinks for a few moments longer before eventually ordering a nonalcoholic drink mix, with a wedge of lemon, which earns him a few odd looks which he really seems to pay no mind for at the moment. He places the extra change back inside of his pocket, and leans on the bar, looking about the place for a moment with a deep sigh of relief that for once at this time he can just relax.

"It's my pleasure," Cyril responds with a smile to the two women, continuing, "To the health of the nation, yes? Just one man can't change a thing." He grins and takes a long sip from his glass, leaning back against the bar.

Bailey nods to Cyril. "Well said. To the health of the nation. Wizard and Muggle alike." She tenses a little, immediately feeling the trepidation of declaring favour for Muggles after all that's happened recently. But she sticks to her words, lifting her glass in yet another toast and drinking to it.

"Wizard and Muggle alike," Kahren agrees with Bailey, flashing her a reassuring smile. If one of them gets hell for this - they both will, doubtlessly. She takes another sip, before glancing at the boy nearby. Isn't he out… a bit late? But maybe he's 16?

Oscar Enjoys his drink quite a bit, squeezing the lemon right into the glass with a bit of a grin. "It feels good to finally be debt free, and so early into the break" the teen speaking to no one in particular, as he holds onto his glass with badly scarred hands. He seems to have also been toasting with the others though with his own little drink mix.

Cyril smiles to the two of them, agreeing, "Wizards and Muggles alike. What's one without the other?" He takes another quick sip from his glass before setting it down and introducing himself, "Cyril Malfoy. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." An eyebrow is raised to Oscar and he asks, "Debt free? What sort of debt had you accrued at your age?"

Bailey dips her head in deferential greeting to Cyril. "Mr. Malfoy. I know who you are. I used to work, indirectly, for your brother. I'm Bailey Potter." Once introductions are out of the way, she turns an ear to Oscar, equally curious. If nothing else, it's something that isn't horrific attacks and their aftermaths to talk about.

"Kahren Umbridge," the healer offers in kind. "A pleasure to meet each of you. I'm glad for a few friendly faces tonight." Turning her attention to Oscar, Kahren considers him for a moment before hazarding, "Do you have to buy your own school supplies? Or did you splurge on a particularly nice broom?"

"Neither" Oscar admits somewhat unproud of his own actions "Got a loan for a house and a ring, for the girl of my dreams" He starts off squeezing the last of the juice out of his lime "She dumped me for some racist pure-blooded 'Aryan' wizard, who was a" He can't even really finish that last bit, so instead he simply shakes his head, taking another drink, before saying "Now I've got it all paid off, and didn't even loose a leg over it" he says in a rather joking matter.

"Hmm, it's a small world, isn't it, Miss Potter?" He smiles and looks over to Oscar, rolling a few responses around in his head before he finally settles on, "Well…you're a little young to be getting married, aren't you?"

"That it is, Mr. Malfoy." Bailey gives Oscar a sympathetic half-smile. "Love is a brutal mistress. I'm sorry you had to learn that lesson so young." She reaches her glass over to clink it against Oscar's.

"That is hard," Kahren agrees with the others. "But I'm glad it's all paid off and sorted. You don't need a millstone like that around your neck so young."

"I still hope she finds herself a good life over there" He moves his own glass for the clink, letting out a bit of a worried sigh, before saying. "With the unrest and all that," He then finally takes a look around the place for the first time since getting here, realizing the quiet, with a bit of an odd expression and a low hmming sigh.

"Well, my friend, my advice is to you is the same I tell my daughter. Set yourself as your top priority. There's no sense behind running yourself ragged over someone who is not willing to do the same for you." Cyril offers the boy a pat on the shoulder and reaches for his glass of brandy, once more.

Bailey arches a skeptical eyebrow at Cyril, but keeps her silence this time, sipping her brandy instead. She's hardly the one to be dispensing relationship advice, anyhow. She turns her attention to Kahren as an excuse to veer off of the subject. "So, Miss Umbridge. You look a touch familiar to me. What do you do for a living?'

"I would agree - but only because you're little use to others if you haven't taken care of yourself, first," Kahren remarks. After another drink, her rum is gone, causing her to raise it to get Reece's attention, and silently request a refill.

"I work at St. Mungo's," she answers Bailey. "I'm a healer. And yourself?"

Oscar lets out a bit of a chuckling sigh, looking down towards his glass. "Ask me anything about a plant, and I know it, but women?" He lets out a low chuckle saying quietly "Thought I knew at least something about them," Oscar catching the hint then decides to go for the other conversation as well. "Must be some decent pay in being a healer."

"The first step to understanding women is knowing that there is no understanding women," Cyril says with a grin before polishing off the rest of his glass. A warm smile is offered to everyone gathered and he says, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got a daughter and a no-doubt tired valet to get back to. It was a pleasure to meet you all. Feel free to drink what you will and I'll settle my tab with Mr. Reece in the morning." He steps over to begin gathering his things from his spot at the table.

Bailey nods slowly, recognition forming in her features. "That's where I know you from. I, ah…spend a good deal of time at St. Mungo's. I must have seen you around the hospital. You've got a memorable face. Me, I work in security. I'm a guardwitch. That's how I know Mr. Malfoy's brother. I was assigned to one of his details for a time." Then, to the Mr. Malfoy in question, "Thank you again for the drinks."

"Have a good evening," Kahren calls after Cyril, before picking up her refilled drink. She takes another sip, letting out a quiet, contented sound. She does love a good rum.

"Ah - a guardwitch. Then I suppose it's no wonder we've run into each other," she agrees, before turning her attention back to Oscar.

"It does," she agrees. "But that wasn't my motivation for going into it. I've worked mainly in Potion and Plant Poisoning. I enjoy the challenge of it - deciphering potions, and trying to find an antidote."

"I can't really see myself in that kind of work, myself" He smiles a bit, trying to remember where he was really going in the first place, before adding on a rather happy "but at least you're both doing what you love"

"Enjoy you evenings," Cyril says as he plucks up his coat newspaper, offering a final nod to them before he slips out onto the streets of London.

Bailey gives a noncommittal shrug. "It's something I'm good at. I don't know that I'd say I love it." She peers at her drink, then over at Reece, who simply gives her a knowing smile. "So take that to heart, young man. Pursue what you love, and enjoy every moment of it while it lasts."

"It's certainly not for everyone. And sometimes the hours can be a bit… extreme." Kahren takes another, larger drink of her rum. Maybe she'll go home to a novel, after this glass, and pretend the outside world doesn't exist. "But I agree with Miss Potter. Do what you love, if you can get away with it."

Oscar thinks for a moment, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a rather odd looking fob watch with four hands and bizarre symbols. He sighs shaking his head, before looking to the other two and saying "I've got a letter coming, so I need to get a move on, but it was nice meeting you" his voice suddenly sounding slightly rushed, as he moves to a stand, still looking down towards the watch, as a tiny owl about the size of a soda bottle flies into the room landing on the boys shoulder, with something held in its claws. The tiny owl hooting expectantly at the bar.

"Take care of yourself. Good luck with the ladies." Bailey says this with the utmost sincerity. Goodness knows any young man could use a little luck when it comes to women. She nods to Kahren, "Well, bless you for doing what you do, and putting up with unreasonably late hours."

"I hope it's good news," Kahren chimes in, as Oscar says he's expecting an owl. As the tiny creature flies in, she smiles at it fondly. What a little doll.

"Well - we all take our turns at it," she says in regards to the odd hours. "I'm sure you own work has you out at strange times as well, sometimes."

Oscar offers a friendly smile starting off for the door, as his tiny owl starts climbing its way onto the teens head, hooting away over at the people at the bar, and almost anyone in site, hopping about as it starts to settle down in his hair. Oscar seems slightly annoyed by the behavior but rather accepting of it as he offers one last wave closing the door behind.

Bailey gives a slow, deep nod. "Oooh, yes. We are largely at the mercy of our clients' schedules. So if they're out late, so are we. Or if they need night security for their home, for example. I'm all too familiar with odd hours." She gives the night shift barman a smile. "That's why Reece sees so much of me."

"Cute owl," Kahren remarks, before turning her attention back to Bailey. "Oh, I imagine your hours are far more erratic than my own. And at least I know a few weeks in advance when I'll be working. I would have a difficult time living with such a variable schedule."

"That's true, and things change at the drop of a hat." Bailey finishes her brandy, and shakes her head at Reece when he offers a refill. "In all honesty, I'm thinking about getting out of the business. I'm just not sure what else I could do."

"After guardwitch?" Kahren muses. "I'm not quite sure. You hear, sometimes, of hit wizards and the like retiring and opening a shop, or bar, or restaurant," she suggests in an uncertain tone.

Bailey chuckles silently. "I don't think I'd be cut out to run a business. I haven't the foggiest idea how. All I've ever done has been fairly physical. I'm not very good with people."

"You seem to be doing alright at the moment," Kahren responds with a quiet chuckle. "Though - I wonder if there might be something available at the ministry that would be suited for someone with years of experience working in security?" She takes a small sip before adding, "Particularly in this day and age."

Bailey taps her empty brandy glass. "This is why I'm doing alright." She chuckles, shrugging. "It seems to me that security work would suit me for M.L.E. work the most. But that means more training…and really, I don't know that I'd be any happier doing that than what I'm doing now." She sighs, smiling. "I apologise. I'm going on and on about disliking my job. How depressing. It really isn't all bad. I get to meet a lot of interesting people, at least. And look, my odd hours allow me to meet a pleasant Healer like yourself here at the Cauldron."

"No, it's quite alright. And while Hit Wizard seems the easiest fit… I wonder if they might not have room for something more… logistical? Analyzing security threats and the like. Kahren shakes her head before adding wryly, "Though, truth be told I have little notion of how things work in the Ministry, so…"

"Truth be told, nor do I." Bailey smirks. At least, she slides off of her stool. "I should be going. I have an early day tomorrow. Those odd hours again. Thank you for being lovely company, Healer Umbridge." She extends a friendly hand.

"And for yours, Miss Potter," Kahren agrees as she takes the hand, giving it a warm squeeze. "Stay safe out there, huh? I'd rather see you here than at work."

"Oh, you needn't worry. I'm rarely at St. Mungo's for getting hurt on the job. Mostly I do a lot of watching and looking professional." Bailey chuckles, shaking her head. "But I'm sure I'll see you there. Good night."

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