A little R&R

Danny sat at the bar near the back of the Leaky Cauldron, sipping on some firewhiskey from a cup. Sure, it burned like hell as it went down, but it left a rather pleasant aftertaste that would make anyone feel like they could take on a bear barehanded. It felt good for his soul right now, still feeling a little uneasy about being back in the wizarding world. Yet at any rate, he felt glad to be back...and glad to finally be able to drink firewhiskey without some adult telling him not to. He never did like to follow the rules anyway.

He kept his glance on the bar though, his fingers wrapped tightly around the cups exterior. It burned a little due to the sheer heat, but it felt nice to have the blood flow evenly because of the heat. He sighed a little, swirling his cup around a little. He already met Soph, so he figured he'd have to go meet Andrian now, but that could wait until later. Right now, he just wanted to relax his frustrated and rather exasperated mind. Perhaps a couple more drinks could help sooth those thoughts, they always have. Trying to blend himself back in with his peers was gonna be a challenge, that was for sure.

Susan walked into the Leaky Cauldron. It had been a very long day at the Ministry banishing boggarts again. Being a Spirit Specialist had its up and downs. She hated seeing the dead bodies of her kids in boggart form. It was worse now than ever since she had nearly lost her youngest daughter, Amelia, in a flying accident.

“The regular, you know what it is,” said Susan walking up to the bar. The bartender had waited on her the pass year since she first had wanted divorce and had made this a regular spot to hang out after work. She only had her two youngest to get home to and they weren’t even really kids much anymore; 13 and 15. The years had gone by too fast to her.

“Right on Mrs Macmillan,” said the bartender forgetting she was divorced again.

“For the millionth time, it’s Bones. I’m not married anymore,” sighed Susan.

She sat down in her regular spot not really paying attention to the man sitting next to her. She didn’t typically had company when she came around to drink unless she pulled an old friend from Hogwarts with her. Then it registered that there was a stranger next to her.

“I’m Susan Bones, I don’t believe we have meet before but then again I haven’t gotten out lately,” said Susan. “More like the pass seventeen years of my life in that pathetic thing I called a marriage,” she muttered under her breath. She loved her kids dearly and she really had loved her ex-husband, Ernie, but Merlin she hadn’t been able to leave the farm or even breathe since they got married.

Danny looked up away from the bar, sitting up straight as he listened to the woman talk. She seemed to be of the official sort, probably a Ministry official. He listened to the woman half heartedly, more concerned about his own troubles. She seemed very distraught about her marriage? At least that's what he managed to pick up on anyway. He swished his drink around a couple of more times before he finally drank another gulp. "I know the feeling," he said, in a low monotone "I've been dead for two years."

He looked into his drink and saw it had been empty, much his annoyance. He called for the barkeeper and did a hand gesture to fill it back up. Even though it was alcohol, it didn't really get him drunk. He just liked the feeling of courage it gave, something he really needed right now. It was ironic since he was an ex-Gryffindor, something that was basically bred into them. The barkeep walked back over and poured another round into his cup, the keep raising a brow at Danny. "Might wanna lay off the drinks there kid," he said calmly, placing the cap back on the glass. "I'll be alright, thanks," he said tiping his cup at the barkeep, who then walked away. It was funny, that was only his second glass. Did he really seem like a drunk or something.

"I'm Danny," he said, taking another drink "Danny Thompson. You come here often?" He wasn't interested, but it was better to have a colleague at a bar than no one at all. At least it'd be fun to get drunk with someone anyway, not that she seemed to be the type to get wasted.

Susan didn’t ask but wondered. She wasn’t one for prying into personal lives or going into hers. She had to say if she does get drunk she does get a bit ditzy. She had revelled many very personal secrets to random strangers. She shook her head in the memory of all the stupid things she had gotten herself in back in her younger years. So many years ago it seemed since those days.

“Pretty often, probably more then I should,” she said being completely honest. She could tell he wasn’t really that interested by his body language but that didn’t bother her much. She was here to drink not really make friends. Sipping at her mug of firewhisky she looked over at the man.

Danny grabbed his cup again and downed a little more than he probably should've. He coughed a little in his shoulder, nearly slamming his cup back onto the counter. He still wasn't used to the firewhiskey, seeing as how he hadn't been in the magical world in a while. Actually, he hadn't been that used to alcohol anyway, seeing as how the drinking age in America was 21 and over. Although he did managed to sneak a few away from work while no one was looking. Best nights ever.

He rubbed his mouth off with his sleeve, a burning sensation deep in his throat. He would definitely need to be more careful later on. "I don't know if you noticed, but this firewhiskey burns like Satan's domain," he said, partially joking and partially serious. He slid his cup away from him for a second, letting himself reel his mind back into place. "This place is a charming little hamlet," he replied to her, rubbing the exterior of his throat. Didn't hurt that much after a while, but it was leaning more towards painful than just a burning sensation.

Susan chuckled to herself. She knew that he mustn’t drink Firewhisky often. It’s an inquired taste. “You sip it not chug it. If you chug it you do that and it will also make you seem a bit tipsier then if you just sip it. Call me old school but I’ve been many many places,” she said. Many more than she ever wanted to be. She couldn’t stress enough to people younger to her how important it was not to make a stupid mistake and not fix it right away before it’s too late. She had learned that the hard way.

She was lucky to get a second chance to change the direction of her life. So she really changed this time. She had gotten a mutual, close as possible, divorce, started a career in the Ministry and was learning to enjoy life again. She hadn’t felt so happy in so long she hadn’t recognized the fact that it was too good to last. Then Amelia got in her flying accident, which changed everything. She’s fine now but it had made Susan realize how short life can be and that she was wasting precious time with her kids, well her family in general. Who knows how much longer her mum has? She still wasn’t in terms with that idea.

Danny nodded and said sluggishly "Thanks for the advice." He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or just the minor experience, but he began to feel a little lightheaded in a way. He rolled his neck around in a three-sixty to try and get the blood flowing into his head, if that would do anything. Sure as hell made his neck feel really relaxed though. He grabbed his cup again, something Susan said caught his attention. Been many places? He chuckled and said "Someone as official looking as yourself has been around the block?" He chuckled again and said took another sip from the firewhiskey, making sure he wouldn't burn his pharynx out anytime soon.

Setting the cup back down, he peered into the glass and saw he was empty. Some of the firewiskey had accidently spilled out when he nearly choked, much to his irritation. Now he learned an important lesson. Don't waste your beer. Or whiskey. Whatever, he wasn't even sure if the damn drink was alcohol anyway. Could've been some sort of secret potion to just rot out your kidney. And throat. "Wasn't trying to be rude, but you seem to be a very...uhh..." He paused for a moment, trying to think of a word "official!" Christ, wasn't he original.

Susan rolled her eyes. She worked for the Ministry but only for a short period of time.
She’d been called many things but never official. Mature yes but she never considered herself official. That would be her Auntie Amelia, not her. She wasn’t in high places, nor did she want to be. “It’s the people you least expect that are ones you need to look out for,” commented Susan not caring if she sounded like a fortune cookie.

“I really don’t take offense to what people say about me but my family is a very different story. I’ve been in very dark places inside of my own mind and done things I’m not proud of. But one thing I can say is that I never gave up on those who mattered most and never faltered from the path I believe was the right one for me,” she said. She was sure that the young man’s mind was in the gutter, much like her eldest son. She also knew men rather well by now.

Danny looked at the woman with a slight smile "That's an admirable trait." he looked back down towards his cup and swished it around for a second. "Most people don't respect family that much anymore. Things have definitely changed through the years. I don't know if I really want to go back to what I was before, but it was a part of me, y'know? Ahh, I'm just babbling on now, I don't want to bore you." He took another sip of his firewhiskey and set it back down on the bar. Completely gone now.

He decided it was best to stop here. He was starting to feel a little giddy at the moment, each passing though making him want to just chuckle. But he was still in a correct state of mind though, he was able to control himself. "So Susan," he said, rolling his head to stretch the muscles "you've got family huh?" He hoped he wasn't being too intrusive, he was just curious about the little speech she made.

Susan frowned slightly; she could only imagine what this young man had gone through. She hated hearing or seeing young people that went through something even remotely like she had. It was the idea that some ‘kid’ was going through the same pain and fear she had back at their age. She knew that now, at least, was trying to stop that even if her job is minimal on the effect but that’s why she does what she does. She liked to think she was helping change things even though she didn’t have proof she was.

“I have four kids and an ex-husband. The oldest is seventeen, the youngest is thirteen. My parents are still around but their getting up in age and have issues,” sighed Susan. Saying her oldest was seventeen made her feel old, forty-five wasn’t that old. Or least that’s what she tells herself. She wondered where all the years had gone.