Friendly Reunion

Andrew walked into the Leaky Cauldron one afternoon, hoping to get a butterbeer and chat with some of the people within the bar. He was wearing pretty average clothes, a plain black t-shirt and blue jeans with sneakers, as he wasn't thinking he would meet anyone today. He just wanted to relax a bit and have a couple drinks and maybe see a movie in America. The movies were getting pretty stupid, yet there was always that one movie that was pretty good.

He walked over towards the bar and sat down on one of the stools, looking at the bartender and waiting patiently for her to come over and ask what he wanted. When she did, he asked for a simple butterbeer, nothing more, nothing less. A minute or two later, she returned and slid the warm drink down towards him. He grabbed the handle of the mug and quickly inhaled a small portion of the drink, it's warm effects useless against his past experiences of drinking many at a time. Butterbeers were like his drug.

Before he continued his next swig, he looked around the bar, making sure he hadn't noticed anyone familiar in the bar. He didn't find anyone that may have known him. He thought to himself that maybe he would be all by himself today, something he had for a good amount of time.

Mariana was in Diagon Alley for the past couple of hours talking to her friend Arthur and Slug and Jigger's store. When she was done she passed past the Leaky Cauldron at first intending to just go home. Half way down the street, she changed her mind and returned few meters deciding to take a drink. She arrived only yesterday sometime in the afternoon after 12 hours long flight. In dispite of the fact she was crushed and tired 2 hours after arriving she went to see Jess returning late that night from the Grimauld house.

This morning she saw Khaat and Soph at St.Mungo's after which she visited Arthur. Even though she was very tired, she decided to make the last stop at the Leaky Cauldron. She was wearing light coloured jeans and yellow T-shirt with snickets. Before she even had time to get to the bar, she noticed someone familiar. It was Andrew. After making sure it was really him she approached and sat next to him ordering a butterbeer.

"Nice day huh? And we are sitting at a bar like two drunken people." she commented before she told him hi or anything else only so he would be aware of her presence.

Andrew hadn't noticed Mariana as she walked in, since he was finished with his observation and was steadily drinking his butterbeer. He was enjoying the moment of silence, until he heard someone walk in and sit down next to him. Curiosity got the better of him and he turned his head to where the person had sat down. It was Mari, his old friend.

"Hello Mari," he said in his friendly voice "Haven't seen you since the party."

He wondered why she had been in the Leaky Cauldron in the first place, seeing as how he was always around that place now. Mostly just for kicks. But now a question was lifted in his mind. Had she been here for a while and he hadn't noticed? Odd.

"May I ask what you are doing here?" he asked, still friendly in his tone "I never see most of my friends around the Cauldron anymore."

Mariana noticed as Andrew turned to her quickly then she expected him to. Fortunatly she saw him at the party last night so he wouldn't stare like everyone else did. "Hi Andrew. Yes long period from yesterday huh?" she replied smiling as she toasted for no particular reason.

It has been a while since she was here though the place looked excatly the same. "Well i went to see Khaat 1 hour after the party which finished at 4 AM, then i went to see Arthur who is working at Diagon Alley and then i decided to make a stop here. Good lord i don't remeber when was the last time i had decent sleep." she replied explaining though if Andrew understood something, she would congratulate him.

"You seem to spend a lot of time here? Didn't have time to ask you, i heard you were gone too for sometime? What happened?" she commented adding a question afterwards.

Andrew turned towards Mariana now, realizing that his moment of silence would be broken for a while. He didn't mind because he was always a sort of people person, especially when it came to friends. The party had been a good time to reconnect with some friends he had not seen in a while.

"Well you still look as lovely as ever," he smiled, keeping his friendly smile on his face.

Now something had kicked in. She said the party had ended around 4am. That was pretty crazy because he had left around 11:30 or midnight. He wondered what they all did after he had left, probably talk about the past and everything. He wished he would've stayed.

Now she was asking where he had been. He did not really want to say, as he really had no reason. He just wanted to be alone for a while, using his power of invisibility for a little bit. That and he wanted to figure out what his gloves were really capable of.

"Well I was just seeing the world I guess," he replied to her question "I just hated being in London for a really long time, seeing as how there's that war and everything. That and I wanted to try these things out a little bit more."

He held his hand out and out of nowhere a light appeared on his left hand and a silverly gauntlet with a black tint appeared. It seemed to glow magically. "I don't know if I told you or not, but I found these a while ago in Egypt. They are called 'Merlin's Gloves' or something like that."

Mariana ordered another butterbeer so she could keep talking to her old friend. She yawned before she heard what Andrew said next. "Why thank you you look as handsome always too." she answered not sure if he was flirting or joking with her. Nevertheless, she didn't care as long as it was harmless.

He didn't give too much explenations on her question though she was okay with it because she would have an exuce not to explain why she was gone even though he didn't say anything about that or at least not yet.

"Well i remember that us 3 went together to Egypt though i don't record you mentioning it." she replied as his gloves started to glow in front of her. "You sure they're safe? I mean who knows who else wore them before you." she replied worrying as always. Her friends were already used to it.

"Thank you," he replied, still showing a friendly smile, which disentigrated as soon as he looked down at his gloves again. "Well I found them a little while after our trip. I was exploring the area around this old pyramid Ne'Os Emof had lived in before he died and I found this old pyramid. Went inside and wouldn't you know it, I found them in some treasure room. It was like Indiana Jones or something."

He glanced back towards his other hand and noticed that it was placed firmly there. He hand't noticed as he was used to having the gloves on his hands. It was pretty cool now. "They're as safe as can be. I don't know how they truly work, but they amplify my abilities. Watch."

He wasn't even looking towards his left, but directly to his left a table began to suddenly levitate a little bit off the ground. Andrew kept a straight face and did not change the direction of his glance. He had no focus on the table, which he should have if he were trying to use magic with his wand. A moment later, it clunked on the ground, barely noticiable because of the loud chatter of the other drunkards.

"Not really showing off," he said firmly "but that's just a little taste of what they can do."

"You're welcome.." murmered Mariana for herself before she turned to Andrew's gloves. "As far as i am informed, Ne'Os Emof is alive." she said with a quite tone before she went back to the glove topic. "I don't know. I wouldn't use them if i were you. Who knows how old are they. Whoever buried them in the Pharaoh's tomb probably had a good reason to do so." she saod not looking very friendly at the gloves.

She glanced at the levitated table not too impressed even not by the fact Andrew wasn't looking at it at a time. "Everything powerful has a side effect. But ofcourse i am no one to tell you that as i have a amulet of my own." she said taking the locket which was beneath the other locket from her neck.

It was ancient though in the good shape. "This is my family crest. I am still not aware of alll of his abilitties. I'm not even sure how does it work. Once it took me to the united states. In fact, you were there we were in some tree. It glows alot especially when i get angry. It was given to me by G..." she detained in the middle of the sentence. The name was supposed to stay hidden. "By an old family friend. What do you think?" she asked putting the locket on the counter, The letter D was forged on the front side. Mariana never managed to open it.

Andrew knew Ne'Os was alive, but the last time he saw him was when he attacked him during the train ride back to Hogwarts. It caused his to gain a scar on his left thigh when a sharp piece of glass punctured through the skin. But now he was alive and Andrew had a chance to exact his revenge.

"These things have been pretty good to me in the past year," he explained, the gloves transforming into plain black gloves "and they haven't tried to kill me yet. Yet."

Andrew examined the locket and toke in every detail that he could find. Perhaps there was a way to open it. Maybe. "Maybe my gloves could help open it," he theorized "since the gloves are....well Merlin's. He was a pretty powerful wizard y'know. "

He still wondered if that would all be possible.

Mariana raised an eyebrow on last Andrew's statement. She didn't even remember last time seing Ne'Os Emof. Seemed like an ancient history to her. "I must confess i don't rememnber the last time i saw Ne'Os though whenever i did he tried to kill me. Ofcourse after he turned to the other side." she said thoughtfully. Trying to kill her wasn't so surprising to her, even her own younger cousin tried the same once.

"Well yet doesn't seem pretty encouraging. Though if it does do something one day, you'll have to come to St.Mungo's probably if you stay alive after that. At least i'll have a good exuce to see you and tell you i told you so." she said still joking around though it was better then the time when she looked as pale as a vampire.

The fact of opening the locket seemed rather impossible to her. "I don't think it's meant to open yet. Then again i don't believe you'll be even able to touch it without getting a burn or two on your hand. It doesn't want to be touched by anyone apart from me. I think someone of my family put a curse on that thing so only it's legitimate owner can touch it. I don't advise you to try it." she said honestly as not even her could control its reactions.