Cillian stepped into the familiar warmth and smell of the Three Broomsticks. It was an odd sensation to think that stepping into a pub would be like coming home but for him it certainly was. The nightmares hadn't gotten any easier and if he passed out one more time from drinking too much at the Leaky Cauldron Tom was going to start charging him for a room there. Despite the worries in his homelife and the restless night he knew was ahead of him Cillian returned to his old haunt just to feel . . . well he wasn't quite sure what he expected or wanted to feel but being back at the Three Broomsticks definitely made him feel better and he wasn't even worried that Penny might catch him nose deep in a pint.

He sidled up to the bar, climbing into what used to be his regular stool and smiled at the barmaid behind the counter, "My my Mr. Cuthbert. It's been a long time Handsome, you shouldn't stay away so long. The regular then luv?"

Cillian gave a ghost of a smile and nodded, "Please." His voice sounded hoarse but she didn't seem to notice.

"Sure thing Cillian, I'm just finishing up my shift here but it's good to see you again."

Cillian thanked her for the pint and slipped her a few sickles to make sure she could leave with her tip as she finished up. He then looked out to the rest of the homey little pub. He was suddenly glad it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend. The last thing he needed right now was for a gaggle of Hogwarts students seeing their old Professor like this - hair a mess, a shag of a beard starting to grow in, dark circles under his eyes - not that he had even been much of a conventional Professor to begin with but he had at least been presentable back then.