Catching Up With a Figure

It had been 3 days since the battle occurred at The Shrieking Shack and Walt had still been all shaken up from it. He was still feeling the random anxiety from it. Big events such as that one normally gets Xem all wacked out with Anxiety. He was roaming around the streets of London and eventually decided to pop in through Hogsmeade where most of the magic happens.

Everyone around the streets seem to have been on their own, keeping to themselves like most adults do. Walter never really liked the whole idea of independence as an adult. That's one of the reasons why he loved Hogwarts so much, you didn't have to be independent. While roaming up on the streets he came across a familiar face. One who had been there with him at the battle, one who had just recently been a murderer, but most importantly one who had been an important teacher to him for quite the significant amount of time.

"Jack! hey! it's nice to see you again, how have you been since that whole battle?" Xem asked giving her the warmest of smiles.

Jack had been doing her best to avoid the scene of the battle, but business had brought her to Hogsmeade and she simply could not get out of it. She could not hand off the job to anyone else, leaving her to travel into the small village of Hogsmeade. She kept her eyes from the hilly horizon that would reveal the ashen remnants of the historical shack, from the rotted-through reminder of the horrible cost of peace. Jack had to save the children, and knew, logically, that she was not to blame for Alexis' death. The roof collapsing at the exact time had been a freak accident - she had only meant to limit the woman's mobility. 

But she had been unable to prevent the later death of Charlotte Topez as well, and the guilt of one death affirmed to need of guilt for the other. How could she only feel responsible for one? It was her way of thought anyway. She felt responsible for anything she could have prevented that was not.

Another rotten reminder was the face of Xemnas, a boy who looked strikingly similar to her own brother, only younger. She grimaced, wishing he was anywhere but there. She angled herself toward the Hog's Head, hoping the dirt and reputation of the place would scare the boy off. "Hey." She scowled. There it was. "I'm fine, Xemnas. Just going out for a pint."

Seeing Jack's face enlightened Xem and it gave him that warming smile that he'd give a lot of people that were close to him, but this time it didn't look as if Jack was so happy to see him. He started to feel a little bit of guilt inside. Walter always had this feeling that Jack found him quite annoying. He doesn't blame her though, they met when he was just 12.I must've been an annoying twelve year old. Walt just stood there thinking to himself and got a little sidetracked while in the middle of the conversation.

"How have you been feeling lately since after that battle?" Xem asked. After asking it he thought to himself he probably shouldn't have asked that. He just wanted to know how she was feeling cause she didn't seem as charismatic, or as proud, or as nice as Walter remembered her.

He began to remember training in the room of requirement, and all those good times. Walt also began realizing all things she must've been through in under a year. She used to be the head of Potter's Army, a lot must've happened to her while I was gone. He stood there patiently awaiting her reply with now a content face.

Jack was aware that most people still avoided the Hog's Head because it was so incredibly run down. Very people knew of the importance the little bar held in the Second World War, but Jack was incredibly aware. She enjoyed the place because it was so often overlooked and uncrowded, but because it connected her to long gone, imperfect people who had done everything they could for the goodness of humanity. They had not always done good to accomplish good, but everything had turned out for the better.

"I'm fine," Jack repeated through her teeth, pushing open the door of the Hog's Head, glancing back at the younger boy. "Thanks for the talk." She strode inside and hurried towards the bar, sitting down and knocking atop the bar. "Whiskey," she murmured and the bartender nodded, turning around to go get the drink for her.

((feel free to have him follow her inside. Sorry for the short post))

As Jack practically stormed off Xem just stood there for a couple of minutes with now quite the displeased face. Ugh fine my @ss Walt could take the hint just fine, but that doesn't mean he was necessarily going to follow the hint. And on that note Walt walked in and followed her to the bar.

When he walked in he could clearly see that this was no three broomsticks inn. This was one of those places for the independent. The ones who just wanted a drink and left. Bah what do I know I've only been here for little over a minute. Xem's biggest concern right now was Jack

He was taking the wrong approach to this, he didn't want to seem persistent, but more of welcoming. He approached Jack now with a concerned look on his face.

"Look, I know you'd rather not see me, and I know you're feeling....something....right now, but just. I want you to know that although you may not care, I'm here for you. Just like I was there for you back when they started to surround you. I realize that you probably don't need me and that you're probably better off alone, but I just......I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to I'm here......I'm not a stupid 12 year old anymore" Walt explained to her.

Walt expected another negative response from her but he figured he should just let her speak before he had walked away, leaving someone who had protected him for awhile blatantly

The bartender delivered Jack's drink and she nodded a thank you. "On the tab, please." The bartender nodded and retreated back as she lifted the glass to her lips, giving herself the sweet relief of the alcohol. Jack had been certain that sheltering herself in the dingy bar was certain to shake off the persistent boy, but it seemed she had been wrong. Though her back was to the door, Xemnas found her and confronted her. She looked up and the bartender stared at her through the young boy's speech. She scowled and the bartender turned away, giving Jack the opportunity to look back at the boy.

She stared at him for a moment, looking very tough and incredibly foreboding. Most people that would see that face in their lifetime usually received an ass-kicking they never really forgot. It was not unusual for people to cower beneath this stare, and she would not usually let up until she saw palpable fear upon their face. But strangely, her expression relaxed and she sighed, gestured towards the seat next to her.

"Have a seat. Order something on me."