Baby Steps

It was Hallie's second shift at the Leaky Cauldron. Hopefully it would go just as well as her first, which went swimmingly, or as swimmingly as a first shift could go. Sure Hallie had been a little nervous having never bartendered before but compared to coming head to head with James Blood, being tortured by Henry Yewbeam and adjusting to life without a leg, bartending was rather simple. She'd pour pints, check sneaky teenagers ID, make a cocktail for a fancy witch - that had been good fun last time yet no more complex than a cure for boils. It was rather amazing how something so simple could be so fun at the same time.

For her second shift Hallie was on a shut down, which held more responsibility. At the end of the shift it mean't she'd have to cash up the till, ensure all alcohol had been locked away and shut down the bar area from anyone but the guests in the rooms above - not that they'd be able to purchase anything gone two in the morning but it was the policy and Hallie had vowed to stick to all policies. No doubt she'd break a couple of rules down the line but right now all Hallie was concentrating on was having an easy life. Baby steps.

Hallie had been back in England almost two weeks and after dipping into her savings she soon realised in order to stay here she'd need a job. A part of her had considered approaching the ministry but the thought of working in magical law was a turn off. No longer did Hallie crave that rush, that need to enforce justice, to make the world a better safe. Hallie had lost a child getting wrapped up in the cloud of drama forever looming over the Lupins, working at the ministry for them wouldn't help matters. At least not yet. As a result Hallie headed down to Diagon Alley and began her search for a job, which ended rather quickly as The Leaky Cauldron was the first place the witch inquired. A day later she'd completed her first shift.

'Have a nice evening.' Hallie said to a battered old witch who placed her empty glass of butterbeer onto the bar before heading towards the staircase up to the bedrooms. The brunette swooped up the glass and placed it in a sink at the end of the back counter. There was already a pile of dirty mugs, splattered with firewhiskey, edged in froth, even couple of food stained plates accompanying them. At least the main rush was over. It was five past ten on a Thursday evening and things were starting to settle down in the pub.

(ooc: sorry it isn't a great post and the writing isn't a literary work of art I'm rather rusty!)

Tobias knew full well that he wasn’t actually crazy. But sometimes it really did feel like he was. After all, he wandered about Diagon Alley some days, trying to decide what to do with himself. If Colleen or Haleigh were alive, he would have at least had someone to focus on. While, technically, he was still focusing on them to an extent, it would have been preferable if he was able to dote on them or take them around rather than wondering what they would have said about the kid who ran in front of him a little bit too fast. Or what Colleen’s reaction would have been to the pets at the Menagerie. He would never know.

His new position in the Ministry’s enforcement department, of course, was helpful. It kept him active, kept his mind on assisting the Order of Phoenix in their attempts to build a new, safe location for the Ministry’s offices, and trying to ensure the protection of the Wizarding World. He couldn’t protect his girls, but he could try and protect the families of others. It felt like a rather honorable career choice, and Tobias continually found himself grateful for having made the choice years before.

Lunch time had come and gone, along with the end of his work day. But Tobias had stuck around far longer than he should have. Hours longer, actually. Unnecessary paperwork had been finished as though it were the most important thing in the world, and Tobias knew he would regret it the next day when he realized he had nothing to work on. But his stomach had finally rumbled, catching his attention around ten o’clock that night.

So it was Diagon Alley through which he wandered, as he so often did, and finally he decided he could do to chat with the owner of the Leaky. Declan had been something of a therapist over the past month, though Tobias had never intentionally asked him to. But when he entered, he saw that the lighter-haired man was not around. Instead, a blonde woman was tending the bar. After a moment, he registered just who he was looking at, and Tobias’s feet carried him to the bar instead of to a table.

“Hallie?” he questioned, taking a seat and leaning forward on the bar. The woman had been well-known in and among the Aurors, and everyone knew that she had gone off with her mother to wherever they had disappeared to. Frankly, he wished he could disappear most of the time, so he understood why she had done so to an extent. Obviously, he couldn’t know the full story. But still. “I didn’t… I didn’t know you were back. You’re not working in the Ministry anymore?”

Hallie had began to start drying the glasses that were slowly stacking themselves on the drainer upon washing themselves in the soapy water. It was quite relaxing working again. The work was easy and reminded her of the florist she'd worked in when hiding out in Spain. Of course the actual work was different but it was a similar skill set involving customers and light duties that weren't physically, nor mentally, taxing.

'Tobias!' Hallie exclaimed, looking up at the sound of her name. Hallie had come into contact with Tobias on occasions when she'd worked in the auror office, especially as a trainee when her role was focused more petty criminals compared to the likes of Felix Baxter and James Blood.

'I- No. I'm not.' Hallie replied slightly taken aback. Her heart was already racing slightly. Over two months ago the witch was being taken into Azkaban for disobeying the law, forced to live as a fugitive and now here she was back in England standing across from the Captain of the magical law enforcement squad.

'I didn't-' Hallie paused. She'd thought about returning, inquiring about asking for her job back but after handing her resignation under the Pierce administration she wasn't too sure the ministry would want her. Surely they would prefer someone who would be there to support the ministry, protect it in it's time of need. Instead Hallie had left and focused all her attention on leading the Order, that was until she had abandoned them completely and escaped to mainland Spain.

'I didn't think it was the best decision, to go back. How are things there, Tobias?' She asked cautiously. As much as Hallie intended to keep her head down and live a simple life it was hard to ignore her curiosities of what was happening in a world she loved so much.

Tobias almost felt bad about addressing her after her shocked reaction, and nearly ordered something just to change the topic, but then she changed the topic and he decided to just go with it until the situation changed and he had the chance to relieve her of some of the stress so clearly held in her frame. As one who had lost much and suffered for an extended period, Tobias had a feeling he could understand her unease.

"Well, you would be welcome if the time came," he pointed out gently, not wanting her to think she needed to feel obligated. He tried to be as kind as he was serious, and though those two things did not always coincide, sometimes things worked out in his favor, and he got to help others without giving up the part of him that felt so obligated to remain stoic.

Shrugging a shoulder, Tobias rested his right forearm along the top of the bar and lifted his free hand to rub at the back of his neck. "After everything that's happened, people are starting to question how the current Minister and Deputy Minister are running things. I'm just hoping nothing goes wrong, you know? Especially when I'm trying to keep the peace. The last thing I want to do is start having to crack down on people. I just don't have the energy for that anymore," he admitted reluctantly, sure that she would not have heard about Colleen or Haleigh having passed. Perhaps it was unwise to bring it up, but it was too late for that, now.

He went on a bit, but the night came to its natural close, and Tobias started off for home after dropping the proper money to cover his tab, along with a generous tip for the blonde bartender in question.

---

A few weeks later, he was literally up to his knees in snow - not even including the figurative slush he was also trying to push through. Tobias found himself at the Leaky Cauldron yet again, as so many seemed to when they were without family or a relationship to pursue. He wasn't sure how long it would take him to find something like that again, but he also wasn't sure that he wanted it yet. Things had started to get a bit crazy, again.

He could have gone to another pub, to be sure, but Tobias had a specific reason for returning to the Leaky. He knew there was someone he could talk to there, and in Hallie he had found someone who could understand, at least in part, what it was he was dealing with. She would not judge as others did, he felt.

Tobias had heard recently, too, about an Order member who might have actually been a double agent - or a traitor. He wasn't sure which, as he had only picked up parts here and there. But Hallie knew Order members better than he did, Tobias was sure, given that she had been in charge for some time. He did not know either of the current co-leaders well enough to ask them, but at least he could get a drink and talk to someone who might know, provided she was willing to discuss that part of her past.

Tobias' words sat comfortably with Hallie. He hadn't been the only person from the ministry to question her departure, not that many of them brought up the subject directly to her, instead they'd whisper from their seats across the bar. Although that was the difference between Tobias and most employees. He wasn't a gossip who would run off to tell his next door neighbor about their conversation.

The blonde had considered a return to the ministry. Not right now, she was only just getting back on her feet after all, but the idea of one day working in the ministry no longer seemed as a deterrent. For now, she'd remain at the Leaky Cauldron, which was no doubt a lot more relaxing than the ministry judging by Tobias' words.


The snow still hadn't shifted. Christmas had been and gone and the New Year was swiftly approaching. The novelty of the snow had been rather exciting at first, truth be told, and had served as a good work out for the blonde but it was starting to take its toll. Her back was aching, shoulders were heavy and it felt as though she hadn't gotten anywhere shifting the snow.

Hallie had given up on Cooper Cottage. Snow was leaky from the chimney top and there was no way she'd be able to open the door without an unfriendly welcome. Toby had decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas - there were house elves to help clear the snow there - and it wasn't as if their Mother was in the country to help clean out Cooper Cottage.

Instead Hallie had taken a few days off work and taken a trip to Spain to visit Amelia. The ex-deputy head mistress was settling in nicely. She was loving life as a muggle school teacher and, although the muggle world held problems of it's own, they were at this moment in time nothing like the wizarding world was facing. Of course Hallie had tried to persuade her Mother to return but there was no shifting Amelia. Spain was quieter, more relaxing and it had always been the place for her to retire with Robert had they grown old together. There was nothing to push Amelia out of Spain.

On the twenty-seventh of December Hallie had returned to England. She'd had such a good time seeing her Mother that her growing distaste towards the snow had worn off and she no longer seemed to care about it at all, giving up on shovelling it all together and spending most of her shifts at the pub behind the bar.

Hallie liked it that way, it allowed her to talk to the customers, which, after all, is what anybody alone would want this time of year: a conversation.

'That's two galleons, please.' Hallie told a customer, handing over their Butterbeer in exchange for the golden coins. Although her hands were occupied placing the money safely in the till her eyes were focused elsewhere for a reoccuring face had entered , bringing a gust of snowy air into the pub.

'Tobias!' Hallie greeted merrily across the unusually sleepy pub. 'The usual?'

Hallie seemed to be in a good mood, but that actually only served to make him a bit more anxious about the topic he needed to bring up. A part of him wasn't entirely sure why it was even nagging at him, but then he remembered why. He had heard about a potential double agent from the Order's very own active one. Ben and Tobias didn't talk all that much, if they could help it, because both had personalities fit for leadership but neither actually wanted to fight their way into getting it outside of their careers. So, it tended to come out when they least expected it to - especially around each other. Needless to say, Tobias had been shocked when the conversation came around to that particular subject.

Over the past couple weeks, Tobias had been frequenting the Leaky rather than the other pubs closer to home, and it had not registered until he saw the blonde offering a hello that he realized why. He had found a friend in Hallie, when he had not expected to have any. When you lost the two most important people in your life, was it wrong to think that people would treat you differently? Tobias had been avoiding most people in order to keep that part of his life from popping up in conversation. Did Hallie know about that? He couldn't even remember, now, but it didn't seem to matter.

He half wished that, for Hallie, he could be more up-beat and outgoing. Tobias often felt that he was likely a bit of a downer to someone like her who, after everything, seemed determined to make the best of things. He, on the other hand, seemed to view everything through a veil of disappointment and loss.

"I think I'll be needing something a bit stronger tonight," he replied with a shake of his head in regards to her question. "I'm afraid something has come up, and I need to chat with you about it. But it seems like I may need the help, if you know what I mean. Something strong, indeed, should do the trick."

Tobias sighed, sinking onto one of the barstools, and fixed Hallie with an apologetic frown before he got to the reason he was there. "The thing is, Hallie... I've out something about someone, and it isn't good. And... I think it's your dad."


(ooc: If you want, I can bring Ben into this thread later. And, since I have just gotten back into writing Mai and she works in the law office at the Ministry, if she knows Hallie, she can try and do some research in the Ministry's archives if you want. Or she can help Hallie dig about even if she isn't meant to. I think Mai would be willing to break the rules for something that affected a friend of hers. She's a lot of fun. Talks too much. Just an idea.)

The over inflated optimistic bubble surrounding Hallie slowly began to let air out at the sound of Tobias' ominous tone. He'd only asked for a 'something stronger' on a couple of occasions and they had usually been the stressful days at work. It was those two moments that reminded Hallie how much better of she was not working for the Ministry of Magic. In fact, Hallie had began to debate about a career as a healer. Not that that would be less stressful than a ministry job, no doubt it'd be more, but it would be a bit more intellectually stimulating, would still give her that chance to help people and she'd get to see Maura almost everyday!

Hallie nodded, a seriously expression washing over her face whilst she found a bottle of firewhiskey from the minifridge, removed the cap, added an extra shot of whiskey and placed it on the bar before Tobias.

Just as the blonde was about to guess that his subdued mood was down to a 'stressful day in work?' she stopped herself. The mention of her Father was the last thing that Hallie had expected to come from Tobias' mouth. They hadn't talked about their families before, not Hallie's Father anyway. What could Tobias possibly have heard about him, and what couldn't be good news? Her Father had been dead for twelve years.

'What do you mean?' Hallie replied, a puzzled look forming in her eyes. 'He's... He died when I was seven. I don't understand?'

(OOC: Oooh that could make it more interesting if Ben did come into the thread. Haha I'm up for threading with Mai afterwards! Thanks Addie!)

Tobias could admit to feeling bad about ruining Hallie's apparent good mood, but there was little he could do about it. After all, things were falling more and more into disarray among the leaders of the Order and those who seemed to be choosing sides, and Tobias had to know whether or not the issue was worth bringing up at their meetings. Perhaps it was too late to matter. But it could still be important to Hallie, which was equally important, in his opinion.

"I know he did, Hal," he replied with a nod, an apologetic frown tugging on his features. "But I know a man, whose father is one of the more influential Death Eaters. And this man, Ben, he has been offended by his father and is now helping the Order by feeding them information. And one of the things he mentioned to me was the name of a Death Eater who... I think he was feeding them secrets from the Order. I could have misunderstood, of course, but that's what I got out of the conversation. And, I was told his name was Cooper. Robert Cooper, if that name is familiar to you."

Tobias shifted his weight in the chair, watching Hallie carefully for any sign that she had heard the same, or if she perhaps already knew. But he doubted that Hallie would have been comfortable with it, but she could well have known. After all, she looked a twinge nervous when he started the conversation. It was possible, he reminded himself, and it was his job to keep the anxiety he felt from showing.

"Have you... have you heard anything about him recently? Or can you remember anything about that? I don't know, honestly, if it will matter to the Order members right now." Tobias continued, hoping that his typically reserved and proper manner of speech didn't come off as his feeling unable to trust her. "But I have a bad feeling that they might become wary of you and your mother if it isn't solved."

Hallie had stared transfixed at Tobius, breathing in every word that he said. Something inside her, some horrible monster beating in her stomach had built up what was coming. The witch didn't know why but the sickening words that left Tobius' mouth seemed like a nightmare, a nightmare that she'd expected and both hoped wasn't the case at the same time.

Her Father had always been the strong, protective wizard who had fought off death eaters from their village only to die in the process whilst Amelia took her children into the closet and hid with a disillutionment charm cast over them. The sound of her Father's body hitting the bedroom floor sometimes echoed in Hallie's mind; seeing the death eaters flee through the crack between the closet door and the frame burnt across the inside of her skull from time to time. It was something that Hallie had always, and would always, carry with her. It was that scene: The sight of her Father, a talented auror and order member, that had shaped her into the person she was today. Hallie had always wanted to strive and become the best witch she could possibly be and keep her Father's legacy for justice burning eternally. Sadly, that image of her Father had just been shattered.

Blinking away the tears suddenly brewing along her bottom lid Hallie looked away from Tobius and instead focused on an ant that was scuttling innocently along a shelf on the underside of the bar. It was happy, simply finding a place to hide in the darkness only to get caught in a spiders web.

'You're wrong.' Hallie whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly as her gaze returned to Tobius. 'He died at the hands of death eaters, fought them off...'

But then when did the death eaters suddenly flee upon his death. Why didn't they continue to wreck havoc in the village? A niggling voice replied in her head. None of it made sense. Had the death eaters killed him intentionally because they thought him to be a spy? Or had he worked for the death eaters but had a change of heart and wanted to tell the Order everything? Once you're a death eater you're always a death eater, until the day you die.

But why was her Father involved in death eater activity anyway? And why had all this suddenly come up now? None of it made any sense whatsoever.

'Who is Ben, Tobias?' She asked, her voice a little stronger as she pushed the rising bubble back down her throat, her finger steering the ant away from the shadowy depths at the back of the shelf.