Squibs Are People Too

"Excuse me -" Atop the chair upon which her father had consumed many a bottle of Vodka and wasted several fortnights, Merlot struggled, fingers splayed across the splintering surface of the bar before her in her effort to remain topside. But her sneaker-clad feet dangled a distance from the floor and swung noisily against the stool's supporting beams. "Excuse me-" Merlot dropped her chin heavily against the heel of the palm with an exasperated and nerve-shaken exhale, which fluttered upward, dusting the flyaway hair from her face.

"Excuse me, I only need a minute - no, a second of your time. Please? I just need some help getting across the barrier." But the bartender paid the child no mind as he chuckled alongside the small group of men to whom he'd only just finished serving another round of a particularly foul smelling alcohol, an offense to which Merlot responded with a childlike and displeased scrunch of her nose. "Please," She squeaked, thwak thwaking her muggle brand shoes against her father's old chair; a truth of which she remained entirely unaware as she tried and failed once more to win her audience’s attention.

"I can't practice magic - I'm only a minor," She sighed, defeated - only to jerk upright when alas, she was struck by a promising epiphany. and she smirked as she swelled with an unfamiliar pride, "I'll have a Gin and T, please," The twelve-year-old ordered.

"Sure you will," Was the bartender's returning quip, his pale eyes fierce. "Where are your parents, kid? You need to go find them, or get out of here," He insisted.

"Now that I have your attention, I need -"
"Look, kid -"
"I just need-"
"Does this child belong to anyone?!" The bartender called to the Leaky's general population.
"No, wait!" Mell pleaded, bright blue eyes alight with fear.

Merely two weeks had gone by since the news of Nemo Omara's kidnapping. Matt had been working relentlessly with Jack Dyllan to plan out an escape for their mutual friend. Matt refused to get the Order involved but he feared it may come down to that. After several nights of being cooped up drinking coffee Jack had forced Matt to leave the hotel room he was stationed in. He needed a night to himself to get drunk and forget everything. Obviously she was unaware of Matt's level of alcohol tolerance.

Before Matt knew it he had already downed fourteen mugs of Firewhisky and won himself five hundred galleons. He had already drunk several men under the table and planned on doing more. It would take half the stock and then some to get Matthew Lestrange drunk. It was an unfair advantage but what the drunk idiots didn't know didn't hurt them. But as Matt was about to earn his six hundredth galleon he overheard a weak voice and then the bartender calling out. Something about the voice seemed familar to him. He turned, forfeiting his money, and walked towards the bar.

"Yeah, she's mine." Matt said loudly looking down at the bartender. He was a good six inches shorter than Matt. "The drink's for me, so hurry up." The bartender quickly went to work and Matt looked down at the mousy child. He winked and smirked at her. The drink was handed to him and he thanked the bartender and gave him a cold stare. From the brief glance down at the girl he could tell, this was Nemo Omara's child.

"Come along now. I've got us a booth in the corner. Your butterbeer's getting cold." he took Merlot's hand and led her to an empty booth in the corner.

Merlot was startled out of her skin by the abrupt arrival of another man at her side - and the tallest and soberest of the bunch, she deduced when she paid him his due, startled stare as she adjusted her wobbling position atop the stool. She had nearly fallen in her state of shock, No, no, no, Her subconscious chanted in frantic disagreement when she was met with a wink and another hasty glance. Please, don't be a pedophile. Please, please, please, no. I just want to get to Diagon Alley.

Merlot stumbled from her father's chair, landing with a shuffling thump on her feet, and quickly she withdrew her hand from the man's grip and sought out the familiar outline of her replica wand from beneath the cover of her brown pencil jeans. "I just need help getting to Diagon Alley," Merlot whispered in reply to the stranger's promise of Butterbeer. But her palate had been won, and she obediently took a seat. "But... C-can I have some Butterbeer too?" She spoke up uncertainly.

As they were walking towards the table Matt grabbed a butterbear from a random table and handed it to her. "Here ya go!" he said with enthusiasm. When they reached the table the smirk on his face wouldn't go away. Here he was sitting with the daughter of the most f!cked up guy he knew and she was perfectly normal. Or at least appeared that way-she was quite mousy and really quiet. He was aware of her predicament but he wasn't quite sure he was going to help her right away. He felt responsible for her. He put his elbows on the table and stared at Merlot. "Well." he said finally. "You're a little young to be here aren't you?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'll get you to Diagon Alley don't worry. Seriously, I'm not a pedophile or anything I'm just a concerned adult figure. Used to be a parent myself, actually, didn't work out so well." he coughed and took a drink. "What do you need in Diagon Alley? You're mother must have been able to get you in. Where's she at?" he asked her. He could only assume her mother was a half decent person if Nemo didn't know about his own daughter. No woman in her right mind would tell a man like Nemo he had a daughter.

"Thank you," Mell muttered as she accepted the drink that she had been supplied with, clutching the mug near to her chest as she chanced a small sip, lapping at the froth that had risen to the top. Butterbeer had been a rarity at home; a birthday gift; a reward on the occasion that she had successfully diverted another inquisitive social worker. Thus, Merlot paused before delving deeper into the glass, if only to savor the opportunity, before she tipped the mug. And with several small gulps the beverage met its end.

Not a pedophile.
Used to be a parent.

All information was important in such foreign territory. She would store it for later use.

And with a small hiccup she replied, lively eyes trained on the man before her, "Diagon Alley is all I needed. I've never had the occasion to visit," She tried to shrug casually, only to jerk her shoulder back in a painfully evident display of her discomfort. "My Mother is meeting me there," Merlot lied fluently; which was perhaps the only graceful aspect about her. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go..." She proceeded with a flick of her thumb over the spinner ring on her third finger.

The anxiety had returned.