Stacey sighed heavily. Music pulsed from somewhere, the bass making the windows shake slightly. Someone decided that they would use Muggle music using their powers with electricity. Stacey could have easily made the music stop, btu her new boss wouldn`t have been very happy with her.
"They`re enjoying it, Stace." The blubbering man stuttered. No matter how many times she corrected him, Stacey was now Stace. She hated the name, but she couldn`t do anything about it.
She now pushed four glasses of butterbeer down the counter with a wave of her hand. She had soon mastered the use of her powers-- using them to pour the drink and send them to their buyers. It wasn`t the best job-- being a bartender-- but it wasn`t horrible. She liked it alright. It was better than her coming job at the Ministry, and she wasn`t hounded with a thousand people`s powers.
"Here you go." She said, setting a refilled glass in front of a someone before taking a sip of her own. She wasn`t allowed to drink anything too strong, and she had to pay half price, but it was a job.
Luke walked into The Three Broomsticks and looked around. He didn't expect to know anyone, but he thought it was worth a try. He sighed and went to take a seat at the bar.
"Excuse me, can I please get a butterbeer?" He asked the bartender. He felt like he had seen her somewhere, but wasn't sure where.
He smiled at her, wondering if she was taken. She was very pretty. Luke contemplated this, and was soon very lost in his own thoughts.
Jackie pushed open the door with a small flick of her hand. Today she was in a good mood, considering the fact that she was confused most of the time these days. She took a seat at the bar, and put her hands on either side of the stool. Then she pushed off the counter lightly with her foot and swiveled back and forth for a moment.
Sometimes the simplest things in life could bring joy. She scanned the bar area, tucking her hair behind one ear. She saw the bartender's hair. Why did it look so familiar. "Um, excuse me, bartender?" She questioned politely.
A girl came in and sat next to Luke, but he hardly even noticed. When she began to swivel, he still didn't notice. It was only when he heard her voice that he was jolted out of his revery.
"Jackie?" He asked as he turned and stared at her. He of course knew that it was her, but he was very surprised to see her here. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled at her, glad that he got to see her again, and so soon.
Jackie looked up, surprised to hear her name. Ah, she knew this boy. Why did she seem to always meet him in a bar? She smiled, shaking her hair out from behind her ear. Then she smiled at his question; if he really knew why she was here he would run screaming. There was a whole train of things that led up to her coming to the bar so much more often. She decided to spare him and give him the simple answer. He was a nice kid.
"I'm here to lose myself while drinking because I've screwed my life over so bad I don't care anymore. I wish I could start over... My family is so messed up, and if I did a few things differently, I could have changed where I am now." She said, looking up at the ceiling. "But, what can ya do?"
Then she looked at the bartender again. She mumbled something and strained her brain for an answer. "Stacey! Thats it! Stacey!" She ended up saying, then calling to Stacey. Since when had she worked here?
Luke smiled back at her, watching her white-blonde hair move and shimmer in the dim light. There was something about her that captivated him and drew him in. He didn't know what it was.
"Ah... so you're a realist?" He asked matter-of-factly. He liked to think of himself as an optimist, but that wasn't always true.
Aiden sat at the last chair on the bar table. He was by himself, and remained hidden in the corner. He wasn't exactly hiding, just no one had noticed him yet.
He silently watched Stacey work. He had never seen Stacey work when she had her job at the ministry, but he knew she hated it. This job she didn't seem to mind that much. When his wife was happy, he was happy.
Aiden lifted his head, and looked at Stacey. He took out some change from his pocket, and put it out on the counter. His wedding ring shined brightly in the light.
"Stace." He said, with a grin. "May I have a butterbear?"
Jackie laughed, twirling her fingers in her hair again. "I suppose. I also think that when you go through so much, you have a point at which you snap. Everyone has a certain thing that may make them snap. For some its their child getting hurt, someone dieing, or someone leaving them..." She said, averting her gaze to the floor now.
"Everyone..." She murmered almost to herself.
Luke smiled as she laughed. It had a beautiful ring to it. One that could make anyone smile. Jackie seemed like a very nice girl; just one that had been through a world of hurt very recently.
"I agree. There's always that certain breaking point. Like the straw that broke the camel's back." He watched her as she shifted her gaze. "Have you snapped before?"
Jackie felt the smile slid abruptly off of her face. "I guess you could say I have." She said, looking at the ceiling, remembering things she would never voice aloud again. She pushed them out of her head. "How about you?" She finally asked.
Luke watched the smile fall off of her face. His fell too, just slower, more confused. He waited for her to speak, wondering if the question was out of place.
"Yeah, I have snapped. Not as bad as some people though... I've had several smaller snaps instead of one big one." Luke explained. He tried to stay positive and not lose his head, which made it easier to not lose control.
((Gosh, you guys could have waited for me!))
Stacey turned around as she was called to duty.
"Jackie, hey." She said, placing a butterbeer in front of her friend and the boy next to her. "How are you?" She asked him. She had learned not to ask anyone who they were. She would usually smile and nodd in they told her, but he looked about her age.
Suddenly her stomach warmed and she just felt a little happier. She turned her head to the side, noticing another customer she hadn`t before. "Aiden!" She beamed, filling another mug and taking the change. She gave him a look that told him that he didn`t have to pay, but she figured he would just disagree.
"How are you guys?" She asked, holding her hand out to Aiden and looking over to Jackie.
Aiden grinned at his wife. He slowly dug in his pocket, and took out some change. He took Stacey's hand, and handed her the money for the drink and quite a bit extra. It was more than the price of the drink, but he did it on purpose.
Aiden left the money on the counter, and looked at Stacey with bright eyes. He gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.
"How's work been treating you?" He asked her with a grin.
((Sorry Stacey!!! :'( SO SORRY! ))
Jackie beamed at the sound of her friends voice. "I've been better." She commended, flipping her hand over. She gave Stacey a generous tip. "So, how long have you been working here?" She asked curiously. Then she smiled somewhat mysteriously. "No drunkards giving you any trouble are they?" She said, a laughing tone to her voice.
Stacey wrinkled her nose and pushed the extra tips back to her friends.
"Work is good. And any drunks get kicked out. If they don`t go willingly..." She shrugged. She had only used her powers one time to make someone leave, and all she did was push him out with some wind power. Her boss had even mentioned it.
"And I don`t need you guys to give me extra tips." She said before they could push them at her. She didn`t really need the extra money people sometimes gave her. She made enough money, and she already had enough. It seemed that it even annoyed Aiden, sometimes, because she always insisted on paying.
"I'm good!" Luke said, simply. He dug in his pockets for some money, handing her the cost for the drink plus a small tip. He had seen her refuse tips from the others, but they had been very generous.
He figured that she must know the other two, and she did seem to be their age. Maybe she went to Hogwarts. He would be sure to ask her about it when the moment presented itself.
Stacey smiled at Luke and pushed the tip back at him. It would have been rude to give the others their money back and not give his back. "Good is good." She said with a smile, squeezing Aiden`s hand. Her wedding ring was hidden under his fingers, but only Luke didn`t know that she was married.
"Do you go to Hogwarts?" She asked, taking a sip of her own butterbeer. She tilted her head and her eyes flashed a bright blue. It wasn`t quite magnificent, but it was close.
Luke shrugged and took the tip back. He smiled as he stuffed it back in his pocket. He saw her squeeze the other guys hand. They must be going out. As he came to a conclusion on their relationship status, he heard Stacey say something.
"What? Oh, uhm... yes! I just started here..." He said, still smiling. When her eyes changed color, his smile vanished and was replaced with a look of confusion. He might have fallen off the barstool, had he not grabbed the counter just in time.
Stacey tilted her head as Luke answered her. she could read his mind, of course, being in public and surrounded by people who could. He had been thinking that she and Aiden were dating. Her smile wideneed slightly at that. They were a little farther along than dating.
But when she saw his reaction to her eyes changing colors.... well, she couldn`t help but laugh.
"Wow, I think you`ve had the biggest reaction to a little color change than anyone else I`ve ever met." She teased. Most people were just like, Oh, that`s cool. No one had almost fallen over.
"Yes, my eyes change color. No big deal." She shrugged. "And I just graduated. What year are you?" She acted as if her eyes were no big deal. To her, the weren`t. Aiden had said good things about them, he even thought they were magnificent. She didn`t see what the big deal was. Lots of people could change their eye color. Of course, no one could change them to as many colors or patterns as Stacey could. Her eyes could change to anything.
Luke calmed himself enough to chuckle a little. He could see that Hogwarts would take some getting used to. More than he had originally thought.
"Well, I tend to overreact, just a little!" Luke laughed quietly. "But it's hard not to! I haven't been around so many wizards at one time before! It's... really interesting."
Luke inwardly braced himself. If eyes changing color were no big deal, then what was considered a big deal here?
"I'm not really sure what year I'm considered here... It's my first year here, but I'm not a first year. I'm 16." Technically. Luke thought to himself.
Stacey smiled and leaned against the bar, still holding Aiden`s hand.
"If you were really sixteen, you`d be a sixth year." She said. "But you`re not, so... have you been to a magical school before?" She asked, ehr eyes swirling a thoughtful purple.
Her eyes were something of a deal. Other people`s eyes could only change a little. But Stacey in herself was a rarity.It was extremely rare to ba able to absorb other people`s powers. She only knew of one other person in the world who could, and it was Al who had told her about him.
Even now, she could turn into a vampire right now if she wanted to. She didn`t, of course. She had learned that there were some side effects to her powers.
"Who ever said that I wasn't sixteen?" Luke asked nervously. Had she already guessed that he was a vampire? Was it that obvious?
"I haven't been to a magical school before, but I have been taught magic by people... just not in a formal setting." Luke said. He could control magic fairly well, and was working very hard outside of his classes.
He had recently been trying to read people's minds, and he decided to try that now. He kept a fairly blank face, but the corner of his eye twitched slightly with effort. Luke stealthily tried to read Stacey's mind. He was almost immediately slammed back by her powerful mind shields. He had totally underestimated her power.
Stacey grinned and tilted her head as she felt the presence of Luke trying to push it`s way into her mind. No one entered her thoughts without consent except Ginny and Lavy, and she didn`t have a choice with them.
*You are a vampire,* She pushed the thought into his mind, sheilding it from everyone else. *I`m not going to tell if you don`t want me to, but people are going to find out. Other vampires can smell you. I can feel your powers, but no one else can do that. There are vampires around here. Lots of them, actually. Not one of them try to hide.
Luke sipped his drink, startled. He could feel Stacey in his mind, even though he had been trying to put up mind blocks for the past month.
*You are a vampire. I`m not going to tell if you don`t want me to, but people are going to find out. Other vampires can smell you. I can feel your powers, but no one else can do that. There are vampires around here. Lots of them, actually. Not one of them try to hide.*
~How many others?~ Luke thought. He wasn't sure how to make the thought reach her, but he did his best and was sure that she would pick it up.
Stacey grinned again. she could tell that he didn`t know much about magic.
*Lots. Ask Jackie.* He eyes moved to her old friend. Jackie had been gone a long time, and she hadn`t seen her much lately.
Luke smiled. Stacey seemed nice. Maybe she could help him?
~She's a vampire too?~ He turned and looked at Jackie. She didn't look like she would be a vampire, but of course, she had all of the characteristics. She fit the description of a vampire perfectly. He had known the day that he met her that she was special. Was it because she was a vampire, or was it something else?
Stacey raised an eybrow. How could he not tell? Vampires are supposed to be able to smell each other, and all that jazz. Was he not trained? Aparently not if Stacey knew more about vamps than a vamp.
*Yes. You didn`t know?* That was as nice as she could get with this comment. Luke was sorely missing out on some really fun if he couldn`t tell what were vamps and what weren`t.
~Sorry, no. I didn't get much training. I've spent most of my vampire years in solitude...~ Luke said, sadly. Already, even after just a little while at Hogwarts, he had learned almost as much as he had found out himself in his entire life.
He was becoming more and more disappointed in himself. He had had so long to learn all of these things, but never had. He could be the best wizard here! But he didn't know how.
Stacey smiled again.
*I understand. When I say training, I don`t mean like a course. It`s mostly instinctual. She thought.
Avalee was carrying a rather large pile of books when she entered the bar, she could barely see over them. She had glasses the day before and had already been made fun of by everyone, for they were large and geek-ey. While walking up to the bar, for that was the thing she always did, read & sit at bars, an idiot fourth year thought it woul be just hysterical to trip her. Books went flying. Whe she stood back up she was blushing a bright red and was staring at him with dark p;ssed off eyes. Some of the people around her laughed. What a wonderful day she was having.
"HEY!" Stacey exclaimed. She squeezed Aiden`s hand and gave him an apologetic smile before pulling away and stepping around to the other side of the bar. She snapped her fingers and the boy who had tripped Avalee froze, halfway to the door. Stacey just left him there for now.
"Avalee, are you alright?" She asked, helpign her up and bringing her books into her arms with a flick of the wrist. "Here." She said, handing them back to her. She nudged her towards the bar and went towards the bar, unfreezing his head.
"You, young man, need to leave. Now." She have the boy such a glare that he left quickly. Stacey smiled and went back to the bar.
Aiden watched the whole scene quickly unfold in front of him. He really didn't know what to do after all of the drama that had happened less than a week ago. His eyes got wide, but he narrowed them at the man that left. He wanted to follow him out there, and hurt him but he knew he couldn't
Aiden swallowed the hard lump his throat, unsure of what to do. He looked at Avalee with an apologetic look, and walked over to her and Stacey.
Stacey`s smile slowly vanished. She glanced over at Luke and gestured that she would be back in a moment. She turned back to Avalee and Aiden slowly, resting her elbows on the bar.
"You`re okay, right?" She asked. "There`s a nurse next door, and I can`t feel anything wrong with you." Stacey`s personnal healing powers weren`t very good. She usually ended up hurting herself as she healed another. So she used the nurse`s powers to see that Avalee wasn`t hurt, at least not physically. She set pushed the stacks of books towards the girl.
She grabbed the books. "I'm fine. Its just been..." She paused. "One of those h*ll-ish days." She said. Now was where it got awkward. She could go over and sit by Aiden, and maybe make him and Stacey uncomfortable, or she could go sit by Jakie and the boy she didn't know and seem like she was avoiding Aiden, making everyone uncomfortable.
She sent her thoughts to Aiden, Is it gonna be awkward if I sit by you? not wanting to speak the words aloud. She stood there waiting for him to respond. She pushed her glasses up the ridge of her nose.
She was wearing a nice outfit, a black skirt, a green longsleves tshirt, and black hightop converse. Her glasses were large and dorky, with black rims.
Stacey squared her jaw, too easily hearing Avalee`s massage to Aiden. Apareantly the girl didn`t have a good mind block, if she even had one up. Every witch or wizard who could hear thoughts within fifty yards would have heard her.
*Avalee, you can sit by him if he wants you to.* She pushed the thought into the girl`s mind, blocking it from eveyrone else. She had leanred from the best, and they didn`t happen to be around, so she was it. *He can`t hear you unless you know how to force your thoughts into another`s mind. You probably don`t; it`s advanced stuff, and dangerous if you don`t know how to use it. I`ll ask him.* There was no emmotion in her thoughts. Part of her wanted Avalee far away, but part of her needed to be the responsible one. That was how she had been raised, to be the smart one. It was hard sometimes, especially now.
She smoothed down her jeans and turned to face Aiden. She blocked everyhting else off of from the room. Everything. For now, she couldn`t hear thoughts, sense powers, or even hear what people were saying. She could only hear the beating of her and Aiden`s hearts.
*Do you mind if Avalee sits beside you?* She thought to her husband, putting a stronger block on their minds than was necessary. She didn`t let her opinion show through to Aiden, either. She wanted it to be his choice.
((Um he can read her mind, look at What Happens in Hogsmead, she opened her thoughts to him))
((No he can`t. Stacey broke the connection. Her powers are stronger, that`s why. If you had been Ginny, she wouldn`t have even tried. Avalee`s mind powers are weak, still delevoping. Stacey`s are.... well, as done as she think they`re going to get.))
((Ok, sorry for my stupidity! :) ))
Aiden looked from Stacey to Avalee, hating the responsibility of having to choose. He chewed the inside of his lip as a crease formed in his forehead. He felt nervous again.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders, looking at Stacey.
"If she wants to." He replied out loud. He didn't want to make it seem like he agreed or disagreed to anything.
OK then. They were friends now, Stacey would just have to accept that, she sat down next to him quietly. She set her books on the chair next to her. The stack was almost as tall as she was. She sighed, and ordered a buterbeer from Stacey. She hoped that the awkwardness between them would pass, soon.
((Okay, to everyone who has been following my bio, I'm not actually a vampire, just a normal wizard... I'm working on changing it right now, but if we could just leave my past out of this thread until my history is complete, that would be great.))
Luke heard a large crash behind him. He turned and saw a girl on the ground surrounded by books. He didn't quite realize what had happened, so he just watched as Stacey helped her. He knew he should probably help too, but he didn't know the girl and it looked as though Stacey had it under control.
"Hi there! My name is Luke!" He held out his hand for her to shake it, smiling,
Stacey bit the bip of her toungue as Avalee seated herself next to Aiden. She lowered her eyes to the ground as she turned to get Avalee`s butterbeer so they couldn`t see how emerald green they were. She didn`t turn back around until her eyes were her "natural" and unreadable brown.
She sat the heavy glass in front of the girl. "You`ve moved up from lemonade, I see." She said curlty, her words just a little too sharp to seem teasing.
She leaned against the counter again, scanning the room. Everyone was fine, al drinks were full. Stacey raised her eyebrow, looking back down at Avalee who hand`t paid yet. Just because Avalee had sat next to Aiden didn`t mean that Stacey wasn`t still his wife. She had more rights than the smaller girl.
Aiden watched Avalee sit beside him. He then lifted his head to Stacey, carefully watching her expression. He noticed her quiet harsh tone, and the way she tried to control her eye colors. He didn't like seeing her upset.
Aiden wrapped his hand around his glass, taking a long gulp of it down. He sat it back down, and clenched his teeth together.
"It seems like you're doing very well for your first day, Stacey. Have you ever secretly been a bartended without my knowledge?" He asked, trying to lighten things up.
Stacey turned her gaze to Aiden carefully. Her face bore no emmotion at all, but she smiled. Only Aiden and Jackie would know that it was fake. The others wouldn`t know her well enough to tell.
"Of course not." She said in a chipper tone. "Why would I ever do anything dangerous without anyone knowing. Don`t you know that that`s a good way to get killed." Her smile turned to one of real amusment and she winked at him. She turned to grab a pitcher and refilled Aiden`s glass.
She laughed half-heartedly when Stacey made her comment about her not ordering lemonade. "Its just been one of those days ya know?" She said, she sighed. She could tell that Stacey was uncomfortable and that made Aiden uncomfortable, which made her uncomfortable. She sighed again, drinking her butterbeer fast.
Luke's eyes flicked between the three of them. He watched their expressions and tones carefully, picking up what he could. There was lots of tension between them, for whatever reason. It seemed as though the girl had caused most of it, but what had she done?
He sat silently, observing. He sipped his drink, always keeping his eyes on the three of them.
((Anyone comming soon?))