Jack had had a cloud over her all day. Perhaps it was just a ton of little things. Perhaps it was nothing at all. But Jack was certain it had a whole lot more to do with the calendar - how she hated those godforsaken things and the reminders they brought. Those reminders that could reduce a perfectly happy, healthy human being to absolute anguish.
She had been in Wheezes, working on putting some of the stock into the clearance section. Andy and Kirsty were getting all sentimental, because a this was the anniversary of Gary's first day. Jack did not know how she had ended up with the three most co-dependent employees of all time, but they did remember things like this, and were busy, as ever, reminiscing.
"I remember," Kirsty had said as they talked the day away, "That it was your first day and you had been stopped by someone who needed you to deliver something to your boss, Jack. And you tried to give it to Andy."
The three of them laughed, and even Jack managed to smile along. Then, Andy said something that stung Jack more than they would ever know. "Yeah! I was like... What? A will? What the hell?" They all laughed and Jack's blood ran cold. She turned around and approached the calendar, heart pounding.
Today was the eve of the day Chase's will had found its way to her. Mere months after the painful death Jack had been incapable of preventing, Jack had to deal with the fact that Chase had dumped nearly everything she owned on her. Jack could not even take it all to Calvin - he and his friend had scampered off, allowing themselves to completely forget her. Who could Jack remember her best friend with? They had all left her behind, and Jack felt as though she alone had remained, leaving her far beyond everyone else.
Jack left Wheezes, her mind pounding the urge for alcohol. Anything. The most she could allow into her system without killing herself - only now did she care for her life, because she could not leave Sunny to die the way she had left Chase, the way Chase had left her.
The Leaky Cauldron was the closest bar and, therefore, the best bar on the whole planet. She walked in, filling like a ghost among all the lively patrons.
She looked across the bar as she heard her name called. She walked towards the voice, for once not caring that it was Elijah Krum who was calling her. Another man who had abandoned Chase's memory so easily. Jack sat next to him without a word and knocked on the bar. "Scotch," she said distantly to the bartender. She looked over at Elijah, looking through him. "How's business been, Deputy Minister Krum?"