Leaky Cauldron
Habits die hard, and they usually die bloody. This one wasn't so different, as mother and daughter fell back into the comfort of their constant fighting over everything and anything.
It seemed the party—or the gala, or soirée, as Matriarch Kiramman would call it—had refreshed in her mind about all the reasons why her family, especially her daughter, should not mingle too long with the lower people. Especially as a bartender in a "sloppy inn that couldn't even qualify as a restaurant." It didn't matter that she had never been there herself.
The evening had been pleasant to Caitlyn, much to her surprise. She had very quickly found herself fond of Viktor and Mel. Their personalities were complete opposites, but they both were smart, with great conversation and witty rhetoric. She also liked how they both seemed to take the spotlight off Jayce, just a little bit, but enough for him to be much more like himself and ease up on the fake laughs and polite pleasantries.
How it could have turned so sour so fast, at the very first taste of breakfast, was beyond her. Barely awake, a hot cup of tea in her hand, her toast untouched, her mother barged into the tea room, ranting about how she should stay here for the rest of the holidays, that it was improper of her to leave so soon, and more.
And there they were again.
Habits die hard indeed, and the bad ones put up the hardest fight.
That's why she was already exhausted when, at eleven in the morning, she was standing in front of the closed wooden door of the Leaky Cauldron, a suitcase in her hand.
The warmth of the fireplace and the strong smell of coffee, mixed with something she couldn't identify, greeted her.
There were only a couple of customers, sitting at their own tables, newspapers in front of them, smoking cups of tea or coffee served and ready to be drunk.
Behind the bar, the man—whom Caitlyn firmly believed at first glance was half-bear—was chatting up an old lady, a dirty cloth carelessly resting on his right shoulder. His white T-shirt seemed of Muggle origin and clashed with the classic wizard robes of his customers.
She stood there, soaking in the scents, warmth, and atmosphere, appreciating how different it felt from the home she had left a few minutes ago.
"Hello, Miss, and Merry Christmas. Can I help you?"
She realized the bear-man was staring at her. His voice was low and smooth, comforting like the purr of an old cat by the fireplace.
"Merry Christmas to you as well. Would you be Vander, by any chance? I'm Caitlyn."
She kept her last name silent on purpose. The bartender scratched his chin with his full hand, looking confused.
"Yeah, I'm Vander. But I don't know any Caitlyn… So I repeat my question: can I help you?"
"I… Well… I'm a friend of Vi, and she invited me…"
Confusion grew in the man's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but you might be at the wrong place. I don't know any Vi either."
Now panic and shame seeped into Caitlyn's stomach.
"I… But… I don't understand, she…"
She was cut short by a loud laugh. Not like a bark, more like the rumble of thunder—low and powerful, but so full of pure joy that Caitlyn instantly knew who Vi got her laugh from, adopted or not. She was definitely at the right place.
"I'm just messing with ya, kiddo. Vi's out for a delivery; she'll be back in a jiffy."
He extended a large hand over the bar.
"I'm Vander."
She took it and shook it firmly. Calloused. Rough. Gentle but powerful enough to break her fingers with little effort. She felt suddenly very tiny.
"I'm Caitlyn."
"It's nice to meet you, Caitlyn. Vi's been speaking of nothing but you these past days. She was really looking forward to you joining us. She doesn't invite people over often, which is to say, never, so I'm really happy you made it."
The warmth that took over the young woman like a wave was definitely not coming from the chimney.
"It's my pleasure, really, Sir."
"Oh, don't you 'Sir' me! Rule number one: call me Vander. Come on, I'll show you to your room. Vi prepared it herself!"
The room was small but clean and comfortable. In many ways, it was similar to her private chambers at Hogwarts, although with a lot less color.
"Vi's room is across the hall," explained Vander, "and mine is right next to yours. So no funny business!"
Caitlyn blushed so deeply it looked like a sunburn.
"I… I would never, Sir—Vander, Sir Vander."
His thunderous laughter returned.
"Come on, kid, don't make it so easy. Vi told me you had some banter in you; don't make a liar out of her."
Now Caitlyn was a little bit hurt, but mostly ashamed of falling so carelessly into his trap.
"I'll keep that in mind. Vander."
"Good."
He paused and looked through the window.
"Vi told me you were coming to help us with the bar 'til you have to go back to school. That alone says plenty about you, and nothing but good. Especially for the Kiramman heir, who, she told me, has never poured a drink before."
He knew. Of course he knew who she was. Cait's shoulders sagged a little.
"I really appreciate it, I do", he resumed, "But you don't have to. Just you being here is enough for Vi; it's enough for me. It's plenty."
Caitlyn instantly knew who had encouraged Vi's selflessness. This Vander seemed to be all she had imagined.
"I promised Vi, and I make true on my word. Plus, I'm looking forward to it. New experience, new horizons. Honestly, it's not a bother; rather the opposite. I just hope I will be more help than a burden. But I'm a quick learner, I swear."
Vander turned away from the window to face her and studied her. She looked back, straight into his eyes, trying to show resolve without provocation.
"Alright, kiddo. Alright. Let's try to make an honest bartender out of you."
A loud noise rose from the stairs, like someone both running up and falling down them at the same time.
"Yo, Vander!" yelled a familiar voice, getting closer. "You got customers waiting downstairs, and…"
As she appeared in the frame of the door, Vi stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened when she saw Caitlyn, and her whole face lit up.
"Cait! You're here!"
"Hello, Vi. It's nice to see you. And Merry late Christmas!"
Vander cleared his throat.
"Sorry, kiddo, you're right. I better get down there before they empty my register. Show her around, but don't take too long. Lunch service will start soon."
"Sure, Dad."
Vander put a gigantic hand on Caitlyn's shoulder, and she wondered if it was as big as Hagrid's.
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, Caitlyn."
Vi stepped forward, as though moved by an invisible force, with no control and no purpose other than to get closer to Caitlyn. She visibly couldn't decide if she should take Caitlyn's hands in hers, hug her hello, or do something else.
She ended up standing awkwardly barely a foot in front of her, close enough to smell her perfume, and looked away, almost ashamed.
"I didn't think you'd come."
Caitlyn scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her, resting on her heels.
"I did tell you I would, though. Would you think of me a liar?"
Vi looked panicked.
"No! Never, it's just… I don't know. Doesn't feel real, is all."
Caitlyn wanted to cup her face with her hand, or entwined her fingers with hers. Anything, really. She obviously did none of it.
"Well, I'm as real as it gets. Now, would you mind showing me around? Vander did say we should hurry, and you still need to explain to me what I should do."
Her smile was as bright as the sun outside the window.
As it turned out, Caitlyn was not as gifted as she expected to be, and carrying a full platter with dishes and drinks without spilling anything was a lot harder than she thought. Thankfully, her wand mastery was among the best, even by Auror standards, so she quickly decided to use magic to do the heavy lifting.
"Say, Vander," she started while washing a plate next to him as he prepared a coffee, "why are you and Vi doing it all by hand? Wouldn't it be easier and faster to use magic?"
Vander scoffed.
"I suppose it would, if I could use it."
Caitlyn's eyes grew wide, and her mouth hung open. She didn't dare ask what he meant, but the look he gave her was enough to tell her he had heard the silent question.
"Yes, a Squib I am. Always have been, always will be."
She wanted to say she was sorry to hear that, but something told her he would take offense.
"Could be 'cause I never could do any magic , but I believe it would be a shortcut nonetheless. My customers like that I'm bringing their food myself. Makes it personal, makes it real. This dish was made especially for them, served to them, with love and dedication. Call me an old-school romantic, but I think it makes a difference."
Caitlyn stayed silent, watching Vi serve four pints of Butterbeer to a group of friends, laughing with them about Merlin knew what.
"But Vi… I mean… she went to Hogwarts."
Vander's smile faltered and darkened.
"She'd tell you that she shares my philosophy, and I think it's true in part, but…"
He stopped.
"She told you her story, right? About her time away?"
"She did, yes."
He shook his head and sighed.
"I think she just forgot. Cut from her magic for so long... she just forgot it was a part of her life, part of her. She can still use her wand, of course, but she just doesn't think about it."
Caitlyn gazed at her again, seeing her in a new light, as if for the first time. She remembered how Vi's first reflex in battle had been to throw a rock into the face of the masked man, rather than unsheathe her wand and throw spells.
For the rest of the day, Caitlyn kept serving every pint and cup of coffee with her own hands, even after she dropped one on a customer's lap.
Did she expect to be this exhausted at the end of the first day? No, she didn't. Her feet hurt, especially, and her lower back too. The curse of getting closer to her thirties, she supposed. She couldn't remember a time she had spent so many hours standing and walking, not even during stakeouts.
Did she expect to have as much fun? No, she didn't either. She couldn't believe it was already ten past eleven. The inn was not yet empty, although Vander had stopped serving anything but coffee and ale. Caitlyn couldn't fathom how he managed to do this almost every day, including during the holidays. He would be back up the next morning to prepare everything and open again around eleven.
Even climbing the stairs was a challenge, her legs refusing to do their job as expected.
"You need help, Cupcake?" teased a voice behind her. "Cause I can carry you in my arms."
Caitlyn scoffed and actually hesitated for a few seconds. Maybe if she let herself fall backward, like an impromptu trust fall, Vi would catch her, carry her upstairs with her thick, heavy, solid arms while Caitlyn grabbed her neck and…
No. Nope nope nope. No. Ain't happening. Not here, not like that.
"Cait?"
"Yes, sorry. I don't know what's happening, but my legs just decided they were done with the day. If you'd be so kind as to give me a second, they'll finally obey their master, and I'll make it back to my chambers."
Vi barked a laugh.
"And that's why you train, Cupcake. So your body doesn't give up mid-service."
"Hey! I'll let you know that my work as an Auror was much more physical than you would expect! There was a lot of running, especially after thugs. Spell battles and more!"
"Yeah, I'm sure, but it's short efforts. Working in a restaurant, that's a marathon… where you can never afford to go slow!"
Caitlyn mustered the last bits of her will and strength and finally finished her trip up the stairs.
"And we have to do that again tomorrow?"
"Sure we do, Cupcake. Sure we do. I mean, if you feel like it's too much, you can rest, you know that, right? Your help is a well-appreciated gift, but we've managed without you forever."
There was an unmistakable challenge in her voice. Are you already gonna bail on us, you spoiled little princess?
"I'll show you a little princess..." muttered the blue-haired woman.
"Say what now?"
"Nothing. Nothing. Well! Good night, Vi!"
She all but slammed the door in Vi's face, leaving the tattooed woman dumbfounded.
"Cait! Hey!"
The door opened again. The view was comical—Cait's hair was ruffled and messy, and she looked tired, exhausted, and out of breath.
"What?"
Vi rubbed her neck awkwardly.
"I mean, you're already turning in? I thought, you know… we'd chat a bit, maybe?"
Caitlyn opened the door a little more, looking judgmental, if not for the smirk on her lips.
"Were you, by any chance, expecting some kind of slumber party, Violet Lanes? A sleepover? Maybe get some matching pajamas? Braid our hair?"
Awkwardness turned to shame as Vi became defensive.
"Hey, no need to mock, okay? I told you, it's the first time I'm having a friend at home, and…"
"Hey, hey…"
Caitlyn opened the door wider, enough to invite Vi in.
"Sorry, I was just teasing you. My apologies if that was insensitive."
Then, with a broader smile:
"Is it just me, or are we both in our late twenties and only just discovering what life as a teenager should have been? This is all new to me too."
"Yeah, I guess we are."
Vi walked in, her shoulder brushing against Caitlyn's.
"But I ain't got no hair to braid, though! I could do yours if you want? I used to do Pow's when we were kids."
Caitlyn gave her a stern look before closing the door.
"Violet Lanes. If you get your rough hands anywhere close to my hair…"
I might just let you do whatever you want to me.
"... I'll bite them."
Vi's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling.
"You'll… bite them?"
"As hard as I can!"