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[lilium_evansiae]

Lily can't quite ever see herself deciding to spend a break at Hogwarts, but at the same time, it's always a little disconcerting to be in a place where not only can she not do any magic, but where there's no magic going on at all.

It makes her fingers start to itch a little. So while she tells herself that she has come to the bar tonight to revise for her Charms OWL, she really just wants a chance to do something with magic.

She asks Bar for a butterbeer, and gets a note napkin instead. Lily reads the message and frowns a little.

"Well, of course, I'd be happy to help out," Lily says, "but you realize I don't know a thing about tending a bar, right?" A book materializes. Lily picks it up, flips through it, and then nods. "All right."

Ten minutes later, Lily has written

SPECIALS
Red Currant Daiquiri
Classic Muggle Martini
Cherry Syrup and Soda

Pelham and Grenville's Guide to Charmed Cocktails is propped up on the bar in front of her, and Lily has her wand pointed at the shaker that is mixing a drink in midair, trying out one of the spells in the book.

Happy Hour (and Charms Revision) is underway.


ETA: And closed! Thanks so much for tagging -- slowtime, please! :)

tiny tag: Moist von Lipwig

Comments

[parkerlee]

The cat appears first, jumping nimbly up onto a barstool, and then onto Bar herself.

He is removed a second later by Parker, who is half in, half out of a heavy coat, and trying to juggle a serious looking flashlight along with her pet.

"Hey, Lily. Sorry about that." To Hoss, she adds, "Cats don't sit on eating surfaces."

Yes, she knows arguing with a cat is fruitless. She still feels obligated.

[lilium_evansiae]

"My cat tends to sit any place she likes," Lily say.

"Hello, Parker.

"Why do you have a torch?"

[parkerlee]

Parker sets her flashlight on the bar and the cat on a stool, the better to extricate herself from her coat. Hoss takes the opportunity to hop back up onto the bar with an, And you're going to do WHAT about this? expression on his face.

"Power's out at the ranch," she explains. "Mother Nature is experiencing some extreme PMS this winter. It's a mess. A big cold mess."

She finally shucks her coat with a relieved sigh. Warmth is good, but the coat, plus the layers she's wearing underneath it had been getting pretty uncomfortable.

"And to think I thought my mom was crazy when she insisted on silk long underwear."

[lilium_evansiae]

"My mum always sends me off to school with extra hats, but I wind up using at least one of them every year."

Lily directs the cocktail shaker back onto the bar and then holds her hand out to the cat for inspection.

"Anything for you?"

[parkerlee]

Hoss sniffs, politely. He really is growing up to be something of a gentleman of a cat, even if he and her person differ in their opinions on some matters.

"Something hot?" Parker says, unwinding the scarf that had provided and extra layer of insulation for her neck. "Anything hot, really. The hotter, the better. I'll drink something on fire at this point."

According to the radio broadcast it had been 8 degrees Fahrenheit today. And felt like minus 12.

[claudiometer]

"--ooooh, you're doing Shirley Temples?"
That would be Claudia catching sight of Lily's specials board during a glance away from her work, and popping one of her headphones off her ears on her way over. She'll get to actually turning off her MP3 player in a minute.

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily blinks.

"That's the little girl who tapdanced in all the movies, right?"

[claudiometer]

"Yeah, that too, sorry. I saw 'cherry syrup and soda' and that's what I've always called 'em, if the soda in question's Sprite or 7-Up."
She has a seat on a stool, turns off her MP3 player, and hangs her headphones around her neck. "Whatever it is we're calling it, that sounds good right about now."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Well, it's soda water.

"Will that be all right?"

Lily has already directed it to pour itself into a glass, but she can go find something else if that's a problem.

[claudiometer]

"Don't see why it wouldn't." It might be a little less sweet than she's used to, but that won't be the end of the world.

[morethanprops]

Watson has yet to find a door back to Baker Street or Holmes and he misses his mustache.

Things seem to happen behind the counter and this is the first time he's seen someone behind it so he comes over and nods to the young woman,

"Could I get a whiskey and what are you doing with that?"

The wand is rather distracting and a voice that tries to come through the fever wants to leave because witches are dangerous. Watson on the other hand doesn't believe in them so feverish Moist is ignored.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Magic," Lily says, simply. "Of course.

"Would you like to firewhiskey, or is there some other type you'd prefer?"

There are a lot of options on whiskey, you know.

[morethanprops]

"Magic, not a fine illusion? I don't believe I've ever heard of firewhiskey. Do you recommend it?"

Watson is sure that Holmes would enjoy this and point out the trick behind her magic, he really would like to know what's going on. He also looks rather flushed since he's rather deep in a bad fever.

[lilium_evansiae]

"It's pretty popular where I'm from. I can't say I've ever had it personally.

"And yeah, real magic.

"I'm a witch.

"Lily Evans," she adds, offering her hand -- not the one with the wand -- across the bar.

[morethanprops]

"Doctor John Watson and I will take your recommendation, Miss Evans,"

He bows over her hand instead of shaking it and moves his hand up to where his mustache should be,

"Were you mixing a drink with magic before?"

[alotofgood]

When James had entered the bar this evening, before Happy Hour, he'd received a fortune cookie with his order.

In it was the following message: Tell them what you really think. Otherwise, nothing will change.

(James has since tucked it away into the back pocket of his jeans, not thinking too much about it.)

Upon his need to replenish his supply of butterbeer, who should he see behind the bar but Lily Evans?







Wait.






Lily Evan is tending the bar tonight.

Lily Evans.

Is tending.

The bar.

Tonight.


... has the universe flipped itself on its head?

Wasting no time whatsoever, James approaches and sets his now-empty butterbeer mug on the countertop.

"A refill, if you please, barkeep," he says, doing very well to hide the utter bafflement he is still experiencing.

[lilium_evansiae]

"I suppose I should be grateful you didn't call me 'wench,'" Lily says.

"Hello, Potter.

"Butterbeer, right?"

[alotofgood]

"Evans, you should know I'd never call you such a word," he says, feigning utmost seriousness.

Then he smiles.

"And yeah, thanks."

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily finds the appropriate bottle and refills Potter's mug.

"How's your break going?

"You seem to have two eyebrows again."

[alotofgood]

"Yeah."

James waggles them in demonstration.

"I came here a few days back and got them fixed up, actually," he says.


Which reminds him of someone he happened to run into, while he was here.

He's debating whether to tell Evans about him.

Maybe later.

"Then I had to help Sirius with his ear when I went back home. He's back to normal, too. So break's been all right, I suppose. A bit boring, really."

James shrugs.

"How about you?"

[theunsmiling]

A woman with flyaway dark hair, torn jeans, and a T-shirt that reads Can't talk - I'm in a 'time out' slings herself onto a barstool, propping her chin up in one hand.

Then she takes a moment to peruse the specials.

Only then does she appear to notice the shaker hovering in mid-air.

"I have to say, I quite like your technique, there."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Thank you," Lily says.

"The spells are in the book," she adds.

"Can I get you anything?"

[theunsmiling]

"I bet everyone can't use them. The spells in the book, I mean."

She smiles a little, lifting one hand to brush her hair out of her eyes.

"And -- you can, I guess. The Red Currant Daiquiri sounds good. It's in the book, too, I'm betting?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"No, they can't. But I probably wouldn't begin to know how to mix a drink without out them."

She hasn't had a lot of experience with bartending, really.

She pours the ingredients into the shaker (it's basically a regular Muggle daiquiri made with red currant rum) and sets it to shaking itself.

"I'm Lily Evans."

[theunsmiling]

"I probably wouldn't know how to mix a drink even with your book, so I wouldn't worry."

She smiles crookedly.

"I'm Michael. Hi."