Late one evening, down in a small village, most of the town was enjoying the end of a long day of work. It was the daily ritual for everyone to come down and drink and socialise together. Even the merchants from other towns knew to come here if they were going for a trip to sell their wares. Even the older children of some couples came with them, though the barkeeps watched them very closely.
The village of Rockytop became well-known in no time as being a popular trade route, leading straight to the sea with less than half a day's journey by horse and a day's trip on foot. And with a seasonal festival beginning in a few short days, the taverns were full, newcomers to the town joined the locals and all the days' works were completed quickly to help with preparations.
"Seamus! Calm yourself on the beer, why don't you?" Dean shouted from across the pub, watching his best friend chug his 5th pint that evening. Many people moved around, danced merrily, pints in hands, swinging each other across the floor. Some sat at the bar, while others chatted happily at the tables. Surrounding the local Irishman was a group of people cheering him on as he drank beer after beer.
"Angelina! Dear, we need another over here!" One voice shouted to the lovely bartender.
At the bar, one woman cleaned the pints and dirty dishes, and the second, named Angelina, served alcohol straight from the kegs. The two were cousins who inherited the establishment from their grandfather.
Angelina turned to her cousin with a few pints on a platter. "Hermione, can you bring it?"
The brunette nodded and took the platter, whisking it away gracefully through the busy floor and bringing it to the group. "Here you go, Seamus," Hermione dropped the platter at the table and let the patrons grab their own drinks. "You best be ready for the Wagon later." She told him, knocking his should with a gentle slap.
Seamus flashed a cheeky smile. "It'll be fine! I can hold it better than anyone!" Hermione chuckled and shook her head gently.
"Course you can" she told him, taking away the empty glasses back to the sink and the bucket.
She quickly whisked them into the warm water and placed them to dry. "Did you hear?" said one of the patrons at the bar to grab her attention. "Two ships arrived this morning in Lekin."
"Oh? I imagine for Midsummers?" She inquired. This man was a frequent traveler between Lekin, the largest port city in over 3 days of journey. Many of the sailors came to the taverns there and to Rockytop to meet the locals and have fun before setting sail.
The man chuckled. "With the festival six days away, why else would they be here?"
"Always the obvious with you, Harry. Would you like a meal before you head off?" Hermione inquired, placing one more glass in front of the man she had known for so long. He nodded and asked for a soup, which she happily brought from the back. "The Jordans brought me a chicken this morning, so I've made quite the meal all day with it." She spoke. "Enjoy as much as you'd like. We'll see you before the festivities?"
"Of course, who else d'you reckon is bringing in all that flour from Lekin?" laughed Harry as he took a gulp.
The sound of a table turning over caught the attention of both ladies, Harry, and most of the patrons. "Not again..." Hermione mumbled. A man named Adrian Pucey and one named Oliver Wood had begun brawling, and by the sound of the words being thrown, they were fighting over the popular game, Horseshoes.
Angelina immediately went around the counter, picking up her skirt and separating the two by herself and scolding them for drinking and charging them for the damage. When they handed over a few copper pieces for the cracked table, she then pulled one by the collar and the other by the wrist and shoved them out of the bar. "Go fight elsewhere!" She shouted and closed the door.
One patron lifted the table back to its standing position and everyone resumed their drinking as if nothing happened. "Longbottom! Play us something lively!" shouted Hannah, the Portreeve's daughter. Neville picked up a stringed instrument and started plucking a tune, causing multiple people to stand and latch arms into a dance. Hermione and Angelina were even pulled in as the pub celebrated the end of the day.
It was just another day for the town of Rockytop.
**Portreeve: One person elected by a village or small city to govern when in there is no nobility (lack of duke), a few hundred years ago.
** Many many ages ago, a port did not always mean a city next to the sea. Those are Seaports. But a Port is near the water, not necessarily on the coast. The present definition now denotes a city where boats dock.
**Rockytop and Lekin are cities completely made up,
**For the sake of this story, Hermione and Angelina will be cousins.