Should I go over and say something? Would my presence be appreciated? I certainly did not wish to intrude on anything. And it is not as if we had been terribly close while at Hogwarts. Dorm mates, of course, and from time to time, we had something which could be called a friendship. Of course, if I had had my way, it would have turned into a bit more…

He does certainly look wonderful tonight. From the way he and his teammates are talking, I would say they just came from Quidditch practice. Windblown hair, ruddy cheeks. Certainly very becoming on him. I do not mean to stare. I just came here for a drink, something to calm down after work. Not that I ever really left work; the scrolls out in front of me on the table can attest to that. They obviously came here to spend time as a team, my presence would be an intrusion at best, I should finish my drink, pack up my work and leave.

And do what? Go back to my flat? Feed the owl, read for a few hours, and go to bed, still thinking about this moment? Is this really what I want my life to be? They say the war is building, and no matter how much the officials try to deny it, something is going to happen soon. The tension is building, it is going to reach a breaking point.

What is that Muggle phrase? Carpe diem? It becomes all the more important when there are not that many diems left. I put it off when I was at school, too afraid to ever try anything. I have enough in my life to regret. I do not want this to be one more thing.

I shove all of my scrolls into my bag, down the last of my drink, and walk over to him. One of his teammates notices me first, and taps him on the shoulder to turn him around. I finally manage to stammer out my greeting.

"Hello, Oliver. How are you doing?"

He smiles at me, one of those big smiles that I remember so well from school, the kind that always made my heart jump a little.

"Hey, Percy. Fancy meeting you here."