Zacharias is half-asleep and a bit hungover, and he accidentally splashes some hot coffee on his hand.
"Fuck," he mutters, which isn't charming or professional. He tries to focus on his hand enough to see if he's really hurt, but someone behind him clears his throat. He swears again and moves out of the way.
It's some middle aged Magical Maintenance man, looking pathetically frazzled. The Magical Maintenance department lately is always looking pathetic and frazzled, they're one of the departments most strapped for cash lately. Most of the departments are, all of them but the goddamn Aurors. The other secretary in Transportation was let go last month and now Zach is doing enough work for two secretaries.
But at least the coffee is still free.
He gets back into the line behind Cho Chang and wishes after a moment that he had waited for the line to get longer. That way, he could loiter here longer and avoid his work. And he can tell she recognises him and he doesn't like that.
Funny thing, that. He used to know her mostly as a Quidditch rival. A pretty good one, too, before fourth year. Then she'd been Cedric's girlfriend. Then she'd been in the DA with him, then she'd been the girl who abandoned the DA.
But Cho had turned on the DA out of loyalty to her friend, and Zacharias had done the same out of fear.
He tells himself that fear had been a product of loyalty- fear for himself and for his family and his House- but he knows himself too well to believe it.
"It's Zacharias, right?" says Cho.
Zach clears his throat. "Yeah," he says, somewhat lamely. "Cho?"
"Yeah," says Cho.
There's a short moment. "I remember you from Quidditch," blurts Zach.
She looks immensely relieved at this opportunity to talk about something as easy as Quidditch. "Yes! You were a Chaser, right?"
"Yep! Made Captain in fifth year," he says. He remembers too late that it's because Cedric had died. Hopefully Cho doesn't put two and two together.
Cho nods. "Right, I remember. We beat you that year."
"That was the only game you won," he protests. "We were not the worst team-"
It's the sad truth, though- Hufflepuff's players were certainly enthusiastic, certainly athletic, but that only carried them so far.
"The worst team was Slytherin," says Cho. "Half of their wins were just foul play and good Keeping on penalty shots."
Zach nods and smiles a little. Cho reaches the front of the line and turns back around to start making herself coffee. Her ponytail moves like a pendelum with her motions- it's mesmerising, and he almost doesn't notice when the station next to her becomes available.
"I'll see you around," Cho says, taking her coffee and leaving.
Zach, truthfully, doesn't want to see her around. She reminds him painfully of Cedric. More than that, she reminds him of the DA and what he's done.
And, perhaps more importantly, what he hasn't.