Pretty Little Distraction

Frank rarely had time to himself anymore. When he was not at the Ministry working as an Auror, or at St Mungo's, preparing for his job with training and the usual protocol that any health service provider- making sure he knew how to handle emergencies, ensuring he knew every single form (and there seemed to be thousands) and how to fill them out, explaining the chain of command, how to handle difficult patients, etcetera. And then there was Order business and dealing with the usual dysfunction that came along with being a Longbottom.

He needed new robes, so he had slipped into Diagon Alley. It was only as he was leaving Madame Malkin's that he realized he had the whole day to himself- no appoitments, no work, no Order meetings, no chores. It had literally forced him to a halt. He could not remember such a day in the recent times. He was always so busy. And now he finally had a much needed day of rest. And he felt like... he should be doing something.

He walked around for awhile, stocking up on quills and parchment, potions ingredients for his sister when she returned home for the holidays, but soon found he could think of nothing more to do. So, resignedly, he headed back to the Leaky Cauldron, thinking someway along the way he could find himself a nice little distraction from his day off.

No such luck. He entered the pub and walked up to the bar, smiling at the barman, a curly-haired man he had seen a few years ahead of him at Hogwarts. "Hey Stephen. Can I get a Butterbeer?" Stephen grinned and responded, "Sure thing Frank." Frank settled onto a barstool and glanced around the bar, nodding. Stephen delivered the Butterbeer and Frank smiled, before focusing his energy and time on the drink.

Julia wasn't planning on going to Diagon Alley that day. However, Edward had practically ran her out of the house. He had a girl there, she was completely unfamiliar, and Julia could only imagine his motives on bringing her home. She wasn't about to sit through that, or be anywhere near that. So, she got all dolled up for a little shopping trip. She didn't need anything in particular, just a distraction. She quietly browsed through various stores, finding some things she liked here and there, but all this didn't quite help with her boredom.

Since she graduated, Julia and her friends didn't have much to do. With an exception of the Dark Followers, Julia's summer was very slow and boring. She had spent much of her time getting ready to pass on her leadership to a new student; and, much to her disadvantage, it took up more time than she had thought. She had to pass on the names of all the members, members' statuses, orders of business, and things as such.

Truthfully, Julia was glad that she no longer lead the Dark Followers. The group was pretty unsuccessful, and Julia certainly didn't make a good leader. She wasn't "bad" enough, she was much too soft; she hated putting others in pain or misfortunes. She had decided that Goyle would make a stupendous leader; she had that rough personality, she should have been leader from the start.

But now, Julia had time for herself. Sometimes she wished that she had more things to keep her occupied, but there weren't enough things in the world to keep her busy. Julia always had to be doing something; whether it be cleaning her entire house, or simply reading a book.

Soon enough, Julia found herself sitting on a bench across from the Leaky Cauldron, fiddling with her hair. She decided to grab a drink and return home, though it was still the early afternoon, she couldn't find anything to really hold her attention. Julia walked inside, the only audible sounds were the clicking of her heels and the low chatter and clanking of the regular customers. Approaching the bar, Julia set her bags down and took a seat. "Firewhiskey, please?" She asked the bartender. Alcohol would certainly grasp her attention for some time.

Julia tapped her fingers against the wooden counter as she waited for her drink. She looked around the room, not looking for anything in particular. Her eyes reached something- a person. At first, she didn't notice anything different about this person than any of the others, but she did a double take and realized it was him. "Miss," the bartender called, "your drink." Julia glanced at the bartender and hastily thanked him, and grabbed the glass. She quickly looked back at the man who sat across the way. "Frank...?" She asked the man. She felt the spark of hope in her chest, but also felt the butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't felt this feeling in a long, long time.