It was her birthday, and Claire was sporting a look that others might call "hideously ugly" and "more than a bit overboard" but what Claire saw as very festive. She strongly believed that you were supposed to dress outrageously for your birthday, regardless if it was a Wednesday night or not. Besides, Claire had never really given much consideration to what others did. It was her birthday, and so if she wanted to wear a bunch of rhinestones glued to a corset, then it was her right as the birthday girl.

If anyone gave her a real attitude, then they'd be silly, because Claire's birthday also happened to be a prankster's Christmas: April Fool's Day. Of course she was carrying a few toys and tricks with her, not that she wasn't always. In fact, she'd charmed her necklace to sic anyone who made negative comments about it, so that was already one line of defense. It was only 10PM on the night before her birthday, and when midnight hit she hoped to be mostly drunk and having a ball to ring in another year of Claire McByrne.

She sauntered into the pub and greeted the bartender, someone she knew from being friendly but mostly because she was somewhat regular. "It's my birthday at midnight!" she exclaimed. "Let's do a shot?" Tonight was going to get very interesting.

Shamera didn’t often go to Hogsmeade, but it was a first time in a while that she didn’t have anything to do on a night. The Underground was fine without her on a weekday evening, and there weren’t any other jobs that required her attention tonight.  She hadn’t really had much time to herself as of late, and it seemed like a good time to relax a little. The other clubs in Diagon Alley were nice, but she always felt a little weird going into her competition (even though most didn’t really know her as a fellow owner). Hogsmeade seemed like a good option, and the Hogshead was always entertaining.

The fast that it was April Fools also promised some fun to watch. She’d been sitting at the bar, listening to others and just watching what was going on, when a rather brightly dressed girl walked in.  Shamera wasn’t exactly sure if the outfit was in honor of the holiday, or just the girl’s choice of wardrobe.  She watched as the rainbow made her way towards an empty spot at the bar near her, and approached the bartender (who it appeared she knew).

It's my birthday at midnight!" she exclaimed. "Let's do a shot?"

That was the answer, it was a birthday ensemble. Deciding this could be a good source of entertainment for the evening, Shamera decided to indulge in some fun.  She didn’t have this kind of fun that often, so why not?

“Almost your birthday? This one’s on me. And bring me one as well, barkeep.” Shamera said, to the girl and the bartender, giving a smile. “Assuming you don’t mind, of course.”

For a Wednesday night, the place was pretty crowded. By crowded, that meant more than just Claire in the bar. It didn't take long before someone wandered up and offered to pay for her drink. Did she mind? Claire guffawed at that, and loudly. Okay, maybe she had brought a tiny flask with her and maybe it had been filled with whiskey... until she arrived at the Hogshead. A little liquid confidence helped when you were wearing a corset made of giant rhinestones.

"Mind?" Claire retorted. "I'd be honored." The bartender brought over 3 mind erasers, the perfect birthday beverage. Vodka, kahlua, and tonic water on the rocks with a straw. It was a race to finish the whole thing in one sip, but it certainly lived up to its name. Claire held hers up and motioned to the people before her. "Slainte?" Claire had toyed with the idea of getting this word permanently written on her, but decided to wait on a tattoo that exposed how much she liked alcohol. The sentiment behind it was good, though-- cheers and good wishes over alcohol.