As usual, the lobby of The Three Broomsticks was tainted with tobacco smoke, laughter, and drunken bantering.  Witches and wizards, both young and old, sat gathered with their families and friends.  Whether she liked it or not, the evening always managed to provide this particular barmaid with a sizable number of customers.  Tonight was no different.  Despite the peculiar rustic feel of the place, Jake frequented the inn quite often. 

He strode into the establishment and immediately claimed a seat at the bar.  The barmaid was busying herself with preparing a few drinks for a giddy-looking group several seats over.

"Idiots, the lot of em'," she muttered, nodding at them.  "If they weren't paying for their drinks, I'd boot em' out like the hounds they are."

She seemed to sense his presence, for her scowl vanished and was replaced with a smile.

"Welcome to The Three Broomsticks!  What would you like?"

"Nettle wine."

She came back with it a few moments later, took his sickle due, and stored it in the till.  "Thank you kindly, sir."

She walked away to busy herself with preparing more drinks.  Jake leaned forward on his stool, taking a casual sip from his glass.  Disowning the fact that he had a mound of paperwork to finish up when he Apparated back to the Ministry, he concentrated on that all-too familiar scorch of the drink as it passed down his throat. 

"Procrastination" was certainly his middle name when it came to completing memorandums for his work...

   

   

    Alice walked into the Three Broomsticks for the very first time. She was old enough to drink but never really had. It also seemed like the perfect opportunity to maybe meet people. She looked around and frowned at the patrons. Perhaps she had chosen the wrong place to "hang out." Taking a deep breath she took a seat at the bar.

       She looked around trying to see if she found anything she knew from the muggle world to no avail. Then she thought maybe a waitress or someone would walk over so she could ask but that didn't happen. It was to much for her to get up the gumption to actually get someones attention.

   As someone walked past who seemed like they worked there she blinked."Um excu..." Her heart dropped as they walked away. She was definitely out of her element so she just pulled out a book, laid her head down and started to read. Getting so into the book it wasn't long before she started to read aloud to herself. It also probably helped that the place was so loud it was doubtful anyone could hear her.

The girl who walked in didn't catch Jake's attention at first.  He was still busying himself over his drink, even as she sat down on the stool beside him.  It wasn't uncommon for teenagers to visit The Three Broomsticks, and it wasn't the least bit peculiar that this girl - a Hufflepuff, as indicated by her robes - had chosen today, a school day, to visit Hogsmeade. 

He caught his reflection in the mirror and frowned.  Aside from a pair of tired-looking eyes, the man that stared back at him looked like any commonplace wizard of Britain's magical society.  Arrayed in a black overcoat, sweater and slacks, he blended in quite well with the bar's patrons.  Withdrawn, perhaps, but an average-looking citizen nonetheless.  His glass, long since empty, was cleared away from his spot at the bar.   

It wasn't until the girl started reading aloud did he look her way at last.  "I don't know how you're able to read in here.  If you ask me, I'm sure the Hufflepuff common room would be a much more suitable reading environment."

Alice''s head shot up as she turned to the man beside her. She didn't even notice she sat next to anyone. She looked at him wide-eyed and nodded at his comment about her reading.

     "Well I don't get on well with the other students and I mean I don't have classes right now. Noone will even notice I'm gone. I promise you." She shook her head. All the excuses were really making her sound guilty.

     "Look I just wanted to really see what people were like here on a normal day. I got curious what it was like without all the students here and then I realized I had never been in here. It seems like it was a bad idea because I can't get anyone's attention to get a drink if I even knew what I wanted." She sounded absolutely pathetic but it was the truth and she wasn't much for lying.

 "I'm Alice and it's a pleasure to meet you strange bargoer." She had become curious about the man who spoke to her. It was just her nature to want to know about him. "I suppose I won't drink anything so close to class time if that will make you happier, but i am going to continue to stay here and people watch if that is okay?" She smiled brightly.

He merely shrugged.  She seemed surprised and even a tad bit acquisitive, but he didn't blame her; she was being consorted by a complete stranger who, of no offense to himself, looked a bit inclement.  "That's really none of my concern," he spoke, "but all right."

And it wasn't.  The barmaid came back with a fresh glass of Nettle Wine and placed it on the bar.  Sliding her another sickle, Jake took the drink and stirred it with his straw.

"For starters," he said, gesturing towards the barmaid, who currently had her back to them,  "if you truly want a drink, you have to be loud.  She can't hear very well.  Wand backfired on her a couple of years ago.  No idea how it hindered her hearing, though.  It's strange, the way magic works sometimes."

He offered his hand for her to shake.  "Name's Jake.  It's nice to meet you too, Alice.  And by all means, go ahead.  I'm sorry for interrupting you." 

Alice awkwardly shook his hand and then her head."I'm sorry. I suppose I said to much. I just..Er...Don't worry I definitely would have gotten distracted sooner or later. I love reading but I cannot read for a long period of time." She chuckled and looked up at the barmaid.

     "EXCUSE ME!!" She yelled and blushed a little, not used to raising her voice. "Can I have um.." she looked at his glass. It seemed acceptable. "THAT! "She smiled setting money down. "That seemed unnecessary...Was that to loud? I mean even though this is a loud place I'm getting a few stares from people."

     She took off her robe realizing she should have changed before sneaking out but it's not like she was used to it. It was really the worst thing she'd ever done. "Hah There are a lot of colorful characters here aren't there?" She looked around at all the people and pulled out her sketchpad staring at the barmaid and started to doodle.

    "Know any other fascinating stories?"

He chuckled.

"Don't worry about it.  You haven't said too much.  Believe me, I've met people before - complete strangers, mind you - who could go into depth about their pasts.  One particular bloke once told me about a digestion problem he was having.  Another one told me of an thirteen-year affair he had with his secretary."  He shook his head. 

The barmaid - as well as a couple of the bar's patrons - shot Alice a questioning look when she shouted.  Jake gently nudged her in the side.  "She's not that hard-of-hearing."

He nodded at her question, glancing down at her sketchpad.  "There are," he said.  "Most of them are regulars, too."

He quirked his brow.  "Fascinating stories?  Well, I work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  There anything in particular you'd like to know?  Within reason, of course.  I can't break confidentiality when it comes to our suspects."

Alice was mortified she had yelled to loudly but even more mortified when Jake told her his profession.
     "Oh great! Leave it to me to skip school next to a law enforcement officer." She shook her head. "How is it possible for one girl to be so socially awkward?!" She threw her hands up getting her drink and took a large gulp making a choking sound.

     "That is definitely a drink you sip not gulp." She chuckled. "I'm sorry for that outburst. I promise I am more stable than that." She gave up on her drawing after only getting the barmaid's face and torso done.

     "So let's see. What is the most absolutely ridiculous thing you have seen in your line of work?" Just thinking about what her parents would think if they saw her at a bar striking up a conversation with a random stranger. "That you're allowed to tell me of course."

    She was having fun though talking to someone she would most likely never speak to again. It gave her a sense of urgency to leave a good lasting impression.

"I think you're safe," he assured her as he took another sip.  "Making sure the kiddies of Hogwarts are still in school really isn't my responsibility.  Even if it was, I'm really too tired and bogged with matters of my own to really give a damn."

A hint of a smile creased the corners of his lips.  "I'm sure you are.  But no, Nettle Wine is best sipped, not consumed like pumpkin juice.  Nice drawing, by the way."

"So let's see.  What is the most absolutely ridiculous thing you have seen in your line of work?"

He was silent for a moment or two, conjuring a good number of possible responses.  There was one in particular that made his stomach churn merely by thinking about it, so he thought it best not to mention it.  After another prolonged sip of his wine, Jake set the glass back onto the counter and smoothed the sleeve of his coat.

"Well, I'm tasked with the apprehension of dangerous criminals and terrorists.  There was a time when a man we were pursuing Obliviated himself.  Smart, considering we had no way of extracting information from him after that.  Stupid, because he gave himself brain damage and is currently facilitated at St. Mungo's."

Alice smiled looking at her drawing."Oh thank you very much. I've never been able to finish a drawing.I quit for some reason before finishing." She watched him intently, waiting for him to respond. She immediately regretted asking when he told his story. Her shoulders visibly tensed up and her face fell.
   
     "I um...I didn't mean like that I just meant um kind of like funny things, but I didn't know your specialty so...I probably should have asked that first shouldn't I have?" She nibbled on her fingernail frowning.

    She grabbed her glass and took a sip angry she made an awkward silence between them. "Soo. Ever been to Ireland? That's where I'm from. It's really nice." Silently cursing herself for the pathetic attempt to save the conversation she pulled off her robe and set it beside her.

     "How did you decide you wanted to get into law enforcement?" Maybe he could help her decide what to be.

"Well, it looks pretty good, regardless of whether or not you finish it," he assured her.  "Bloody hell, I can barely draw a good square!" He chortled.

"Actually," he said, "I suppose "brain damage" would be too volatile a term.  He's wheelchair-bound now, though.  But, his personality was changed for the better at least.  He's not the greedy, self-centered criminal he once was, so that's a plus."

When she asked if he'd ever been to Ireland, he shook his head and took another sip of his wine.

"I haven't.  I'd like to go there someday, though."

"How did you decide you wanted to go into law enforcement?"

"From a very early age, I'd always wanted to work for the Ministry," he replied.  "It wasn't until my seventh year at Hogwarts when I finally realized that I wanted to work within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  I suppose you could say I wanted to use my wand a lot and see tons of action."   

Alice listened intently to all of his stories  but found herself pretty upset that he didn't have a specific way of figuring out what he wanted. It just came to him. She still had time maybe it would come to her like that.

     "So do you like your job now? I mean was it the right decision?" She looked back down at her sketchbook and chuckled. "I bet if you used a ruler you could get a good square down. That's my method at least." She looked up at him after taking another small sip and thought for a second.

     "I'm assuming you went to Hogwarts since you knew what house I was in. What house were you in I wonder?"  Suddenly she started going on another little rant like she always did just talking about random things. She stopped, however, when she realized she was talking about buying new socks.

     "Oh...I'm so sorry I went off on a little tangent didn't I? I didn't mean to I just do that sometimes. I talk and just keep talking and talking and talking. Making friends is difficult. It takes forever for people to talk to me and then when they do I just don't shut up."

”I do.  There’s never a dull moment - with the exception, of course, being the paperwork I have to do.  But that’s to come with any job within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  I hate doing it, but sometimes, you do what you have to do.”

Jake smiled, amused by her suggestion.  It was common sense, a trait of his that every now and again escaped him.  ”That’s a pretty good idea, actually.  I’ll do that.

“Yes, I went to Hogwarts.  I was in Ravenclaw.  I’ll bet you were wondering I was in your house?”  He laughed.  ”I had a couple of friends who were in Hufflepuff, though.  Graduated in ninety-six.”

He waved a hand.  ”No, it’s all right.  I was never quite a social one myself, to be honest.  You seem nice enough, though, so don’t worry about that.”

  Alice gave a small roll of her eyes and sighed. "Nice doesn't seem to get people very far. Everyone seems to have their own thing and I just want to know mine. The Ravenclaw is super intelligent, Slytherin is cunning yadda yadda you know all of this, but what good is a loyal Hufflepuff without friends?"

     She hated sounding so pitiful but it was so easy to completely open up to a total stranger when she knew she wouldn't see him again. "I just want to be known or at least have someone call me their best friend. You don't know how absolutely terrible it is being alone ALL the time, and I have gone through it for about 18 years and I'm done!" It was the first time she had really shown anger before.

     "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. It must be the drinking." She mumbled laying her head down. "I just want to graduate and get a job as a librarian or something. Maybe that's what I'll do. I love books so much and they can be my companions. Can I be the crazy book lady?"

     She lifted her head up frowning."Oh I'm sorry I completely just went off about me. Please keep telling me more about you. Do you have any wild Hogwart's stories?"

He felt bad for Alice.  Like her, he know what it was like to be considered an outcast.  He faced the brunt of that fact during his first couple of years in Hogwarts.  However, there wasn't much he could say that would correlate his experience with hers.  It was clear that she was suffering through a tougher round of loneliness and incoherence.

"Do you attempt to initiate conversation?  I know it's easier said than done, but try getting to know a couple of your house-mates.  I can guarantee you that somebody will come to like you if you put yourself out there."

"Can I be the crazy book lady?"

He chortled.  "If that's what you want to do after you graduate, then sure.  But be warned, librarians make shoddy salaries nowadays."

Downing the rest of his drink, Jake set the glass aside and turned so that he was facing Alice.

"I'm sure you know about Harry Potter and his friends, Ronald and Hermione Weasley?  If you have, then the rest is history.  I graduated from Hogwarts after Potter's fifth year, and let me tell you, that boy was the talk - and defamation - of the school."