"I know you said no, but we had leftovers anyway and I figured you hadn't had a chance to try my cooking, yet! You're always free to join us for a night whenever you like!"
She groaned. There was something about the Abbotts that just couldn't leave well enough alone, wasn't there?
Dropping the note to the floor, she picked up a cold trimming of turkey to chew on as she began to get ready for bed. The taste of potion was still thick on her tongue and, unlike the beer at the bar, she was not beginning to grow used to it. Anything that would help disperse it quicker was okay in her book.
The Abbotts were not going anywhere until she ate some of their food, she could tell. If she was lucky, maybe they would go away then. Maybe they would realise that she was busy, tired, and needed to sleep. Or maybe they'd find something else for her to do. Whatever happened, she hoped she could avoid another awkward encounter tonight.
Ten minutes later, now donning her new face and work clothes, she met up with Ol' Tom and Hannah on the patrons side of the bar. They were already seated, sipping tea from steaming mugs and chatting quietly.
"Hey," she said awkwardly as she sat down between them.
Ol' Tom smiled his crooked smile at her. Hannah acknowledged her existence.
"Christmas Eve means a big rush!" Mrs Abbott commanded with gusto. "We all need to be on top form tonight, ladies! Ol' Tom, you'll be… ?"
He gave a courteous bow, smiling brightly.
"In the kitchen, preparing the meals ordered and when unneeded, preparing baps for the counter top!
Mrs Abbott nodded proudly, then turned to them.
"Carly… ? Hannah… ?"
They answered identically.
" - taking orders, maintaining peace and entertaining the crowds."
" - running glasses back and forth from the kitchen."
"Good girls! Excellent!"
The landlady clapped together her hands excitedly. It never ceased to amaze her how much energy this late forties - early fifties woman seemed to have.
They all rose from their seats and walked to their respective positions at the counter.
The prospect of dealing with a larger crowd than what she'd seen before unnerved her. The number of patrons she'd successfully served was still in single digits and by the sound of it, tonight would be dropping her in on the deep end. Part of her wanted to embrace the challenge, prove herself and wipe the floor with the low expectations she'd set for herself in the past. But another and far more daunting part of herself was scared of failure and, on a deeper level, exposure.
"Now, have you got that ol' radio working again, Ol' Tom?"
"I have indeed, my treacle. Already hooked up to the speakers."
"Fantastic. The Wigtown Wonderers game couldn't have lined up on a better day."
She tuned back into their conversation.
"That's today?"
"Of course, dear! Last big match of the year!" Mrs Abbot glowed.
Ol' Tom groaned, slapping his wet dish rag against the bar.
"Gorrr! If the Quidditch is on then we'll probably have bloody Hughnor in!"
As sudden as a balloon popping, the landladies glee soured and she gave a sigh that was quite unlike any noise she'd heard from her before.
"Oh, don't remind me…"
She knew that she shouldn't ask questions about things she didn't know about. But curiosity got the better of her.
"Who?"
Across the room, Hannah contributed a cruel laugh.
"Merlin's Beard, what a nonce!"
Mrs Abbott sent a glare her way.
"Language! He's a regular…" she sighed. "I'll point him out to you… Though he's as wide as he is tall, so you can hardly miss him. He's a bit of a trouble maker."
She turned her nose up. The thought of a drunk dickhead getting hostile with Mrs Abbott or Ol' Tom didn't sit well with her. She glanced around the room once more.
"Where is he anyway?"
"Don't worry, I've already warned him not to bother us while we're busy tonight!"
Her nerves calmed slightly. She felt foolish for worrying about something like that.
"Why not bar him?"
Mrs Abbott struggled, bringing her hands to her hips.
"Well, because he hasn't technically done anything wrong, just the way he speaks is… vile. Absolutely vile," she shook her head. "And he's a right creep, always talking up any young bit of totty he sees… Plus, and I hate to say this, I'd never usually accuse anyone of such a thing… but he's been noticeably in a better mood since all this Death Eater nonsense started up again. He's just about the worst kind of wizard you can have in, but… well, unfortunately, trying to bar him would be more trouble than it's worth."
It took everything she had not to roll her eyes. She knew instantly the type she was describing - she'd grown up around a fair few of them, and had worse encounters with some. It wasn't uncommon for these types to come in with their little posse of similarly minded thugs and start trouble with anyone they deemed an outsider.
"Well if he comes near me, I'll rip his fucking nuts off."
Ol' Tom spat out his drink and identically, Hannah gave a cheer of delight. Mrs Abbott eyeballed her.
The three exchanged glances across the room. She tried not to smile too much.
"If he does or says anything inappropriate to you… then you'll not handle it yourself, you'll come and inform me or Ol' Tom immediately. Are we clear on that?"
She hissed.
"Carly," she pushed. "I know you're perfectly well adapted to handling yourself even without magic, but please, this is a business I'm trying to run. There's a right and a wrong way to do this. Do we all agree to work together?"
"Yesss…" Ol' Tom and Hannah answered.
"Perfectly," she lied.
"In fact, while we're on the topic, I might as well give you the security run down."
She cleared her throat and began to list off all the usual precautions one should take when dealing with rowdy patrons. They were mostly common sense, but still good advice.
'Do not let anyone into your private rooms. If someone asks, tell them there's no time to spare. And if they persist, tell them it's against policy. You need to remember to keep your wands out and handy at all times. Don't leave them behind the counter; they could be used against you.'
'Keep an eye open for people who look suspicious. Anybody who looks like they're going to cause trouble needs to be stopped before they get close. They may seem harmless now, but you never know what they might do later.'
'When you see a fight break out, try to stop it as quickly as possible. But don't put yourself in harm's way; it's safer to step back and call for help. If you have to throw a spell, use the most simple spell you can think of.'
'Always stay calm, even if someone is threatening you. Keep your head, and they'll soon realise they aren't dealing with the sharpest knife in the drawer," she finished.
They nodded along to every point.
"And finally, always watch out for each other! This job isn't easy by any means, so make sure you support each other as best you can. Got it?"
There were nods all around.
"Right. And last, this is our emergency alarm."
Mrs Abbott reached across the bar and brought her finger to a red switch on the wall. She pressed it twice. A loud siren sounded throughout the pub that sounded... vaugely familiar? The lights flashed red, and the whole place filled with a smell of burning plastic.
"... is this Celestina Warbeck?"
A quick glance over her shoulder at Ol' Tom's chuckling confirmed her suspicions.
"Radio Killed the Magic, specially," Mrs Abbott answered. "Awful woman, can't stand her siren screeching. Only time a Celestina Warbeck song plays under this roof is if something's badly wrong. The Auror Station two blocks up is charmed so if it plays even for a second they'll send a dispatch out."
"And we just turn it on? Then what?" Cara asked.
"Evacuate. Doesn't matter what you're doing, even if you've got a sack full of galleons over your shoulder, you drop it and get out! Celestina Warbeck under this roof means either fire, Dementer or murderer."
She swallowed. That was some serious imagery she could have done without.
By the afternoon the pub was packed full of customers; a mixture of wizards, witches and mudbloods alike. It had taken all week to prepare for this night, the place had been scrubbed clean and polished until it sparkled, then they'd set out Mrs Abbott's christmas decorations and finally, tonight would decide whether Mrs Abbott was able to keep running the Leaky Cauldron or not.
The crowd grew steadily as more and more people came through the front doors. At least half of the customers were regular's she'd seen before, but there were a lot of new faces. Her hands shook slightly, and her eyes darted from one customer to another. There was nothing overtly suspicious about these customers, but she knew better than to take chances. She had to keep an eye out for anything strange. Anything out of place. Anything that didn't belong here.
With the cooker running on full blast and the crowded atmosphere, the Leaky Cauldron was a lot hotter than usual. Something which usually would have been a hindrance, but was actually a welcome change of pace in the cold December weather. Both women sweated through their shirts within the hour. The chatter of the crowd, Ol' Tom busying himself in the kitchen clatter, and the hiss from and rumble of the beer pumps filled the air with an eclectic energy. As the afternoon crept into the evening, the crowd never slacked or slowed for ten minutes.
"Hello and welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, what can I get you?"
"Do you do beefeater?" a man shouted over the ground.
She stared across the bar at him, determined that she must have misheard his request.
"Do we do what?"
He leaned across the bar and repeated.
"Beefeater… ?"
She watched his lips this time to make sure she'd understood him correctly. She had.
"We do…," she frowned, "... beef sandwhiches?"
He gave a snobbish laughter, one she felt unfairly demeaned by.
"What do you think beefeater is?"
She glowered at the patron.
"A motherfucker who eats beef! What kind of question is that!?"
"Cara!"
The pub was getting more crowded. The customers were noisy and drunk as usual – some of them shouting at each other; others singing loudly and badly, or dancing around tables that definitely had no room for dancing. She glanced at the clock above the door and saw that they had still had hours before closing. Already she couldn't remember why she was working there. She hated people. People were stupid. Stupid and loud and annoying and smelly and rude and obnoxious and…
But oh, she loved alcohol.
Yet despite the pub feeling a lot more lively, there was she couldn't quite ignore. The patrons were rowdy, yet somehow still quiet. They were excited, yet subdued, their conversations were louder than usual, but quieter than what was normal. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots and know why.
A dark mood hung in the air like a thick fog, threatening to swallow anyone not careful enough to avoid it.
"Hughnor, three o'clock."
She looked to the side and spied a group of large, balding men. In the centre of them stood a particularly overweight man, with a face like a steamed gammon and fingers to match. She instantly knew the type.
"That man had never made a woman finish in his entire life."
Mrs Abbott snorted something vicious, slapping her on the shoulder.
"Cara! Stop it!"
Her friend's laugh sounded hollow to her ears. She'd heard too much of that same hollow tone lately. She sighed and nodded to herself, before turning back to the customers.
In the overhead speakers, the music faded out.
"IT'S TIME FOR THE WIGTOWN WANDERERS! CONTINUING HIS UNCLES LEGACY, WE HAVE OUR SEEKER, JACK PARKIN! THE CHASERS! WE HAVE THE OTHER HALF OF THE HERITAGE DOU, SKYE PARKIN! WORKING IN TIGHT TANDEM WITH THE AWARD WINNING ORION AMAN AND ASHLEIGH BOLT! AS THEIR BEETS WE HAVE THE VICIOUS ERIK RATH AND THE STYLISH ASUKA KENNEDY! AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, HIS FIRST MATCH SINCE TRANSFERRING OVER FROM PUDDLEMERE, WE HAVE OLIVER WOOD AS KEEPER!"
The crowd cheered at the mention of Wood's name.
"Wood is playing for Wigtown now… ?"
Mrs Abbott shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Merlin's Beard, not another famous friend of yours?"
She groaned.
A part of her was beginning to feel bad she had such an investment in the Holyhead Harpies when so many of her friends and ties lead back to the Wigtown Wanderers. On the other side from that, though, was girl power.
The pub was filling up with more fans of the Wanderers as the evening went on. For the first time she witnessed customers staying for longer, enjoying their drinks without hurrying and actually talking to the people around them. During a rare moment she was able to take a breather, she leaned on the counter, studying their faces, and saw, at last, what she'd been strangely hoping for. She was sweating, overworked and exhausted and yet, she found comfort in the infectious atmosphere.
And a pleasant flush of recognition washed over her as she realised she'd done that. By bringing people together and creating an environment they all felt safe in, it almost gave her a small measure of security. Almost.
"Having fun, are we?" Mrs Abbott sang as she passed her.
She gave a subtle, but honest smirk.
"Actually… yeah."
Mrs Abbott grinned broadly, nodding once.
She glanced down at her hands, which were again sticky from beer. It didn't bother her; she wasn't really used to being clean anyway.
Turning back to greet her next patron - she suddenly leapt backwards out of her skin.
"Holy shit!"
"Cara!"
"W-what the fuck are you supposed to be - !?"
"CARA!"
When Mrs Abbott's voice dropped dangerously low, she knew at once she'd done something seriously wrong. She'd fucked up a lot while working here, but had yet to receive that tone before.
Aggressively, she amended herself.
"I m-mean…" she corrected, "Hello and welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, what can I get you?"
A woman had silently appeared at the bar. She had a good foot over her in height, glossy black hair and a cleavage that nearly reached her chin. Her face was pinched with lines, her eyes sunken and dark circles hung underneath. But all of these were, of course, features that only occurred to her upon second examination. When she first saw her - nothing stuck out nearly as noticeably as the woman's magenta skin or forked tail.
Whenever she was, she was definitely not human, nor any kind of magical creature she'd encountered before. That sight of such a… beautiful yet terrifying creature, sparked an adverse reaction inside her.
"Just a cup of tea, please."
Her voice was upper class, but she spoke with broken english.
Stunned, she nodded a simple nod and turned her back on the being, crossing to the teapot Mrs Abbot was stationed by it.
"Bit late for Halloween, isn't it?"
"That's Nessryna. She's a Succubus."
She broke eye contact with the tea station - looking at her incredulously.
"Those aren't real, are they?"
The landlady's eyes grew wide.
"Ohh, they're real, just very - very rare," she eased out dramatically. "Most of them choose not to live with Wizarding folk."
Cara stared at her in disbelief. As they moved in synchronised choreography around each other - she tried to spy the creature again from the corner of her eye.
"Prey on Muggles usually," she continued. "Same boat as vampires - only got elevated from Beast to Being status if they take the oath not to feed off of other Beings. She moved into Diagon Alley… Merlin's Beard, must have been ten years ago! Hasn't aged a day, mind you, I'm not entirely sure she has been sticking to her oath… but I'm no snitch..."
The creature - breathtakingly beautiful - settled herself down in the furthest corner of the pub. She was so hidden away she may have vanished completely, if it wasn't for the sea of turning heads following her. Despite the attention leaking her way, her eyes remained fixed on the floor. She looked peacefully detached from the chaotic energy around her.
"Last I heard, she legged it just before You-Know-Who returned... They say Succubi have the second sight. Said it was going to become too dangerous for her kind to be out in the open… I wonder what changed… Look after the bar while I go talk to her, would you? I'll take her that tea."
She nodded, watching as Mrs Abbott approached the table where the creature sat alone. They weren't close enough for her to hear their conversation, but she could see the subtle gestures of affection between them.
When Mrs Abbott returned, a look of a concern parent was plastered across her face.
"She's trying to get out of the country. Needs some place to stay low for a while."
She was taken aback.
"Why's she come here?"
The landlady shrugged helplessly.
"I don't know… She wouldn't tell me anything. But she asked me to keep her safe."
She looked at the older woman curiously, wondering what she wasn't being told. The landlady seemed hesitant to reveal anything further.
She went about her business of cleaning up, putting glasses back on shelves and refilling mugs. Every now and then, she would glance over to the corner and see the creature staring off into space. She never met her gaze. After an hour or so of this, the Succubus was back at the bar, returning her empty tea cup and saucer to the land lady.
"Thank you. May I have a hand taking my bags to my room?"
Mrs Abbott glanced over at the creature, then back at her. Her face softened as she gestured towards the back door.
"Of course," she replied. "Cara, could you give them-"
"I'll do it. Sure."
Nessryna turned her head slightly. Her red eyes glimmered softly, like a cat's when they caught the light. She nodded.
"Thank you."
She brought herself around the bar, shuffling past Mrs Abbott and took the bag from Nessryna's side. Nessryna gave a soft smile.
As she entered the silence of the first floor, she hadn't realized how fuzzy her brain had become from the noise of the rowdy patrons. The floor creaked as she made her way up the stairs, feeling a bit more comfortable in this new environment. The air tasted better up here and the silence was louder.
Nessryna opened the suite door and held it open for her. She paused, seeing her now in the full light. She had a perfect body - hips wider than her shoulders and a tight waistline. Watching her move ignited something warm inside her and she recalled the stories and crude rumours she'd been told about her kind.
"... is it true you guys feed by… you know?"
Nessryna smiled coyly. Cara's heart raced, her breathing quickening. If the being was offended by the question, it didn't show.
"Yes, we do."
Her voice came out shaky, barely audible.
"You hungry?"
She turned back to look at her, amusement on her face. She noticeably gave her own figure a look up and down. Her cheeks became very hot and he.
The Succubus leaned backwards slowly and placed both hands on the edge of the table. Her lips parted slightly, exposing her sharp teeth. A shiver ran through her as she saw the full length of the creatures tongue. She thought she'd seen everything. Until now.
They stared at each other in silence for a few moments until Nessryna broke it with a quiet laugh.
"I am a vegan… But, thank you for the offer."
She chuckled quietly, still not breaking eye contact. It felt like her heart was beating a thousand beats per minute. This was going to be awkward. Cara swallowed hard and cleared her throat nervously.
The creature moved towards the window and opened it, allowing a sobering breeze to enter the room. She tried not to stare, but couldn't help herself. The way the creature walked, the curves of its body... she had never imagined such beauty existed outside of fairy tales and fantasies. She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts of her mind.
What was happening to her? She was supposed to be strong and battle-hardened - not some giggly schoolgirl crush. And definitely not a one-sided one at that.
But, damn did she want to bury her face in that chest.
"So, do they know?"
She noticed her tail swaying metronomically behind her. That, combined with a surprising smirk on her face, made her look a flavour of mischievous.
She frowned.
"Know what… ?"
The creature tilted her head to the right and raised an eyebrow.
"That you're not using your true face?"
If the silence in the room wasn't loud enough before, it certainly was now.
Absently, she brought her hand up to her face, feeling for her bone structure. She hadn't turned back yet and would have felt it if she had, so how did…?
There was a slow, sinister grin spreading across the creature's lips, though it quickly vanished as her own expression dropped. Lowering her hand, she struck a sharp finger at her.
"You shut the fuck up."
Her tail did a sharp loop-de-loop and disappeared from view.
A moment of tense silence passed between them. The creature were staring intently at the floor. When she finally spoke, her words were soft and timid.
"I shan't expose you. Any secrets you may have are - how one says - none of my business."
"How the fuck do you know?"
It sounded like a shout, but neither party flinched or seemed to notice. Instead, the creature sat down and motioned for her to sit beside her. She did not.
"Hostilities are unnecessary," she said after a while. "Reality only exists how the individual perceives it and… my kind experience life differently to yours. You'd be hard pressed to find any cloak that could shield you from my eyes."
She stared into space, deliberating. She didn't feel threatened.
"Your true form is a beautiful woman, you should know. And you will not find a better place to be yourself. The Leaky Cauldron is a place where all are welcome, it is the boundary that overlaps all of our lives. The truce of the waterhole."
That caught her off guard. At last, the situation caught her up enough for her to finally speak properly.
"I'm... I'm..."
Her tail reappeared and, in a rather animated motion, zipped her lips shut.
"Your secret shall not leave my mouth, rest assured."
She let loose a deep breath. The night air was like ice down her throat.
"I'm in trouble with some bad people," she hesitated. "I got in too over my head and I... I... I just want to live."
Nessryna nodded.
The night is dark and full of terrors, Miss Synde. You'll do well to keep close to the light."