It was Sunday evening and Samuel knew that he would have to be back at the school soon but surely one quick drink couldn’t do any harm? After all it wasn’t as if he did this often, and by this it was being in London over the weekend. Sure he loved the city, since well his mum still lived here and his sister was…..well he didn’t know where she was but he really hoped that Hannah was well wherever she was. He had tried to help her, to provide financial assistance, to be her brother but she had refused, she had wanted to be with Nick, or was it Nathan? Samuel couldn’t remember what the hell his name was but he hoped his baby sister was fine.

He could have eaten dinner with his mum but she was meeting with her sister and he couldn’t handle both women in the room at the same time. He much preferred to be elsewhere instead of that, even if that meant eating at the Leaky Cauldron on his own. Well perhaps the actual food would come after he knocked back a few nips of…something, he didn’t have preference when it came to spirits.

The wizard entered the pub and found it to be somewhat empty but he gathered many people were still out enjoying the now warmer weather. Samuel made his way to the bar, hoping to be served quickly. He took a seat on vacant stool and waited until the bartender came along.



@berlin

The day had already gone so smoothly, Berlin couldn't have been happier. Today's cauldron of soup smell particularly good and his latest shipment of spirits were displayed proudly in place behind the bar. He was so proud of them, and eager to actually have time to polish them. With the final keg rolled into place, Berlin was officially ahead of schedule. He wiped the sweat from his brow, grabbed a polishing rag, and stepped out into the bar.

The Leaky Cauldron was still bare, but that was to be expected. Sure, the Leaky Soup was something of a national treasure, but his real profit came from his beer and other spirits - and those patrons wouldn't be in until later. There was one man, however, sitting at the bar, despite the early hour. Maybe the first of the nightly rush?

Berlin shoved the polishing rag into his back pocket and slammed his forearm down on the bar with a broad grin. "Ey, an early riser! The sun's not even fallen! I love a man with ambition. Tell me, what ye be having?"

Samuel had his back to the bar when he heard someone call out to him. He had been looking around the place to see if anyone he knew was present, sadly it was not the case. He turned on the stool to see a large burly man addressing him. Really the fact that the man had slammed his arm on the table should have alerted Samuel but he was really lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard anything until the other bloke spoke.


“You’d be right on that mate, ambitious is the perfect way to describe me” he joked. “And I hardly wait for the sun to fall for a drink, any time is good for that” he added arching his brow as he turned to look at the wide selection of spirits that sat behind the bar. He scanned each bottle carefully, there was the trademark Ogden’s and Muggle scotch and whiskeys too. “Hit me up with that” Samuel answered as he pointed to brand new bottle of whiskey.


He checked the time on his watch and it didn’t faze him that it was still relatively early for such a drink but he wasn't expected anywhere until tomorrow. Sure he was a professor but even professors earned some time to unwind and relax.

The patron pointed up at a whisky on the top shelf, wax seal still intact. Ah, he knew that brand well - finished a bottle yesterday, in fact. He stepped behind the bar.

"That's a good brand, there! Ya sure know yer rotten rye." Berlin reached from underneath the bar and slid a whiskey glass across the bar, coming to a halt directly in front of the man's seat. Then he pulled down the bottle, unsheathed the knife from his belt and, using it, sliced open the wax seal and popped the cork.

He held the open bottle out to the patron. "Wanna sniff?" But Berlin never let him answer. Instead, he yanked the bottle away, raised it to his nostrils, and took a deep, long, breath. He let out a long contented sigh. "That's just me yanking yer bitty leg. The whiff is fer me." He poured the glass, however, looked up and smiled. "The drink, though. That be all yers."

Samuel tilted his head at the bloke’s comment of him knowing his alcohol. He smirked, of course he did, not really having a reason for being so knowledgeable about booze; he just simply knew his hard liquors.

He watched as the man slid the glass along the top of the bar and how it came to a precise halt right in front of him. Probably had years of practice he assumed. If Samuel was to do the same thing, the glass would undoubtedly land on the floor in many, many fragments.

The Professor watched as the bartender took down the bottle and removed the wax seal with his knife and held it up for him to sniff.

Samuel would have done so, but the smell was pretty strong that he didn’t need to get to close to lip of the bottle to need to smell it. He was able to smell it from where he sat. “No need mate, I caught a whiff of it from here and thanks” Samuel smiled as he lifted the glass to his lips and took a half a sip. He let the liquid burn his throat as he looked over his shoulder and noted that the pub was still relatively empty.

“Hopefully I’m not your only patron tonight” he joked as he swung back around to face the bartender and took another sip.

Berlin looked around the bar. Hopefully, by the time night officially arrived, the Leaky Cauldron would be close to bursting and leaking a could drunkards as well, but for now it was pretty quite. That was to be expected, but Berlin was always a bit nervous before they started to trickle in. After all, he had alcohol to sell!

"Ay," Berlin said. "With only two blokes all night, people might begin to get suspicious." He looked at the man and smirked. "Hopefully you won't stay until lock-up or I might get suspicious myself!"

Samuel look at the whiskey that occupied his glass as the bartender spoke to him. He arched a brow and pretending to be offended. “Really mate? Way to shoot a bloke down even before he begins to make a pass at you” he said with mock frown. He took another sip and his expression changed to a chuckle. “And no I’ll be out of here before you close up” he reassured the bloke. Well that was his plan anyway, he would probably sleep in his office tonight, not that it was the most comfortable of kips he would ever have.

“I’m Samuel by the way” he said extending his hand out to the man. If he was going to spend a fair amount of time here, he might as well introduce himself to the bloke that will be supplying his alcohol for the evening.

Berlin laughed and grabbed the man's hand, shaking it vigorously.

"Berlin Strengler. You, I like. So tell me, what has a man wishing for the numbing touch of alcohol? Her kiss ain't quite as sweet as it may first appear." Berlin beat his chest. "Trust me. I've my fair share of sleepless nights!"

Berlin loved beer. He loved his bar. And he loved the people that came to it. He knew the sort - the seasoned, casual drinkers, the headstrong kids, the runaways trying to escape something. He knew them all, right down to their favorite drinks, and he could pinpoint anyone the moment they walked into the door. This man wasn't on the edge - he wasn't about to do anything drastic or insane - but he was a runaway. Berlin didn't know from what or whom, but finding out made for good conversation.

The charms professor chuckled as the bartender introduced himself and stated that he liked the bloke. “Well even if you won’t accept my advances I’m glad to know you still like me” he smiled as he finished off his drink, way sooner that he had anticipated. He also needed it to help with the pain he had just experienced with the other bloke. “Oh I know that, believe me when I was younger I sought it out but never found it” he replied, speaking surely. He had many nights where he would drink himself stupid and then head home to drink more or find himself at some woman’s flat in her bed. But that had all been before he started at Hogwarts as a professor, now his drinking was much more in check and he didn’t find himself with female company much at all. “My answer to your question is not that exciting mate, but I’m here before I go back to my life up in the isolation of Hogwarts, I’m a professor” he explained. He realised his answer may come across as a being a little cryptic but it was the truth. Being in London opened him up to possibly running into his sister but he wasn’t even sure she ventured into the magical side of the city nowadays or not.