Funny hats and leaky taps :: keela

[Matthew Wolfe]

The first few weeks of school had been both easy and trying for the young man due to a multitude of things popping up at random. Books he borrowed going missing and any number of random other events that followed in it's wake. He assumed that Peeves was to blame for this, but of course if he asked the bloody Poltergiest, all he would get is laughed at and an impossible riddle. Oh joy. But at least today was going to be better. He was meeting with a friend, catching up after a long summer of heat and a minor drought. This year would prove to be better. More rain in the forecast apparently- not that they didn't get enough rain already. Matthew strolled down the streets of Hogsmeade and weaved between what students were there this weekend, and pushed himself through the door to the Three Broomsticks, ringing a small bell above the frame to let the owners know another customer had walked in. He approached a table near the back and took a seat at one of the tables scattered throughout the pub.

Odd witches and wizards of all shapes, sizes and creeds came and left through the front door. Most of them were students from the school, but some of them were locals and other randoms that decided to pop in for a spot of firewhiskey and brandy before heading back out on their way again. An aged wizard in his later years, sat at the end of the bar, a lazy cap that slumped to the side and would no longer stand up adorned his head and matched the equally worn clothing he chose to decorate himself with. A wand lazily protruded from his back pocket, barely clinging to life there and Matthew wondered if the wand ever went off and what the results might be. He tried not to focus on it too much, but the mental image it brought forward was amusing in it's own way. He allowed a small smile to play over his lips before he put his head back down after asking for just a glass of water. He couldn't afford much at all, so he chose to stick to the water.

While he wasted his time away on wizard watching, he sank a little into his chair more. HIs muscles relaxing and his form sagging just a little under the relaxed weight. He slouched forward and rested his arms atop the aged and chipped wooden table infront of him with his hood up once more and keeping his head down. Matthew took this time to carefully examine the wood grain and wondered to himself if it was possible to split each section of the grain away from themselves with absolute pricision. That would be a feat. Matthew glanced at his wand but quickly abandoned the idea of even trying it. Even if it did work, who would put it back together again? He would probably end up barred from the place for life.. or at least until the end of the school year. There was always the Hogs Head, no matter how horrifyingly scary it was to be in that place for longer then five minutes at a time.

[kyla]

Keela had gotten up early, even for her. The excitement at the prospect of the first Hogsmeade trip of the year had proved too much to allow for more than a few hours' sleep. She had spent the majority of the morning planning out places to visit and people to see. She didn't want to let a single minute go to waste. When she'd finished getting ready, Keela had made her way downstairs, not surprised to find herself alone in the early morning hours. Cern had stayed up late playing exploding snap the night before, and would likely stay in bed until something or someone pried him from it. Matt had been one of the first to make it downstairs, and it was during those few moments of calm that they'd made a plan to meet and catch up. She hadn't seen near enough of him since school started back, what with avoiding Vincent and trying hard to at least give the appearance of studying. So it was that Keela had returned to her dorm, having forgotten her bag, and Matt had gone on ahead. She'd been one of the last to arrive, but the fact didn't bother her, that only meant she had a few moments alone to gather her thoughts before entering the chaos that was a Hogsmead weekend.

That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the hustle and bustle of Hogsmeade immensely, because she did. Dressed as casually as she ever managed to be, Keela found herself privy to a rare moment of feeling exceptionally comfortable in her own skin. It helped that she was meeting someone, Hogsmeade trips were never fun if one spent them alone. She stalled only once to watch a display of jumping chocolate frogs in the window of Honeydukes, before she continued her bee-line for one of the only staples that had survived from her parents' time at Hogwarts: The Three Broomsticks.

She pushed the heavy wooden door open, and reveled in the assortment of smells that immediately assaulted her senses. Everything from large mugs of butterbeer to tiny cups of tea adorned the time-worn tables. She searched the room, seeing several familiar faces, but looking for one in particular. She didn't spot him at first, it wasn't until her second sweep of the room that she realized he was slumped into a booth by the far wall with his hood up. She sighed, he'd always feared drawing attention to himself, and it had taken them a while to befriend each other as a result. Keela, after all, was outgoing, she enjoyed attention, as long as it was well-earned. She made her way over, offering waves or small smiles as she passed friendly faces. She managed to bump a chair once as she passed, and she offered its occupant an apologetic smile. The guy smiled back, and said something unintelligible that Keela couldn't quite make out.

She slid into the booth across from where Mat was currently sitting, relieved to have navigated the room with relative success. Noting that he had zoned out while analyzing the table, she waved a hand under his eyes. "Hello,earth to Matt, come in?"

[Matthew Wolfe]

Being lurched back into reality by the faint call he heard, Matthew's head snapped up with a half dazed look on his face when he realized who was standing there and had finally arrived. He blinked once then twice before a small smile illuminated his features underneath the dark hood.

"I'm still here." He offered in slight mock assurance with a light chuckle. He had definitely not been lost in space again. It wasn't his fault that distractions could be found almost everywhere he went. From the smallest splash of off colouring in the corner of a room or on the smallest trinket, or even from the loudest gent in the area ranting on and laughing with his crew about some strange occurance over the weekend. He found such things to the terribly interesting but tried his hardest not to eaves drop or at least let others know he was paying their conversation a mind. It would be rude and rudeness was not something that he would venture into willingly and unprovoked. He took a long refreshing swig of his water before setting the lightly stained glass down on the table again with a dull thud against the wooden surface and briefly he pondered about the existance of termites in the old building.

There was a low rumble from those within the bustling little building as customers moved to and fro and as groups gathered to chatter and drink in their respectable tables, some even daring to eat a little treat or two. Though it was nothing like the questionable items and glasses one could find in the Hogs Head, he still didn't much trust tavern treats. It just didn't feel natural.

"Having a good day so far?" His voice cracked just slightly from dryness and a slightly raw throat he had developed in the night, a hope he wasn't contracting something crept into his mind. Throat cleared, he took another drink of water to surpress the urge to cough.