Drama Queen

Marla was out and looking for trouble. A long cloak was hung from her shoulders, the hood pulled over her short, razor cut hair, her eyes flashing in the shadows of the hood. Beneath her cloak she wore a thigh length sweater dress with leggings beneath that matched the burgundy color of her dress, and a dark belt was buckled around her midsection. Boots cut through the snow and she could feel the dagger touch her ankle as she had tucked it in her boots. Her left hand held her wand tightly.

She needed some drama. The actress had begun to become bored by life. She had Hershal to entertain her, sure, but she needed a change of pace. It was a strange tight rope walk with the guy. She was in it for the information she could glean from him and the physical stuff that kept life interesting. She had a feeling that he was in it for the same but the difference was he was beginning to feel legitimately fond of her. She didn't mind having him around but she was not fond of anyone. Not after Luca.

She blinked, forcing thoughts of her ex-best friend and ex-lover out of her mind. There would not be that ex if it was not for people like Hershal and the ministry and their precious Order to kill the people they found to be threats. That was why she was on the prowl. They all deserved to pay and this lioness was tired of waiting for the antelope to come to her. It was time to take the offensive and go to the watering hole.

She decided on the Hog's Head. Any “good guys” would think that they were being clever, waiting for the “bad guys” to come to them... Lazy bastards. They would pay for the laziness, because she planned on walking right into their open arms, dagger poised to slip right into their gut. Marla was perfectly fine with playing like a cheater and a sneak. They had not been fair on her and Luca. She would not be any nobler to any of them.

Besides, there was the chance of seeing fellow Death Eaters there as well. She was not fond of any of them just as she was not fond of anyone, but she knew she needed to at least have a few to depend on. She would eventually need a partner. No matter that she was master of schemes and lies, it was always wise to have someone backing up your stories, otherwise she found herself fabricating whole new lives and worlds, rather than just being safe and finding the subtlest ways to twist the truth to say what she wanted it to say. And there was always the chance of someone figuring you out. Hershal had seen through her innocent act somehow- too drastic a lie, probably. If her true intentions of exploiting his knowledge had been found out, it would have been nice to have a partner to bust in.

Then again, she probably would not have seduced him if she had a partner, either, and that way really did have its perks... So she could wait until she had her fill of 'fun' with Hershal. She would use him the way she needed to, get the information that would put her name in the heads of the other Death Eaters and the Dark Lady, and ditch him. Then she could focus on a partner.

If Barker was out of Askaban she wouldn't mind him. Yummy. But he had the little pup as his plaything. Ah, well. She wondered if the Dark Lady had any plans to try and bust him out... Probably not, he wasn't that important. Sure, he helped cause a little chaos but until he was out of Askaban, he was not too precious to the Death Eaters.

She slipped into the Hog's Head and went for the bar, since it was always the social hub... if any part of the pub could be considered such. It was simply the easiest way to lure someone into a conversation. Most people had their hoods up, but Marla had never liked to fit in with the crowds. She reached up and dropped the hood onto her back, brushing her hair slightly. The bartender raised his eyebrows. “Firewhiskey? Thanks.” She smiled a cheshire cat grin at him and drummed her fingernails on the grimy bar, turning her nose up at it, slightly.

The drink came sliding down the bar to her and she caught it craftily, her fingers immediately curling around it as she reached the drink up and threw her head back. The alcohol burned the back of her throat in an exhilarating way and her eyes brightened as she set it down, licking the excess drink off of her lips and smirking. Now... if only she could find some entertainment.

Ah, the Hog's Head... a place for the lowest of the low, grimiest of the dirty, and, as with all places of this repute, the most interesting people. In the hour that Jess had been sitting alone in the back of the room, he'd seen more than a few things that would make a small man cry, and a big man react even worse.

All this, because he needed some time in quiet, and if you wanted quiet, surprisingly the Hog's Head was the best place to go. If you sat on your own, minded your own business, and stayed out of everyone's way, you'd be ignored, the poor service of the joint, in all reality, was its best selling point. If you went to the Three Broomsticks, within a minute or two you'd have a server asking what you'd like, or Madam Rosmerta asking why you were so down. Or the leaky Cauldron, which was even worse, as everyone seemed to want to talk to you then, whether they were friend or foe, too drunk to recognise the true signs of someone avoiding conversation. Surprisingly enough, it made the Hog's Head a good choice on night's like tonight.

Jess wasn't like the normal crowd here though, heaven's no. Normally he'd be like all the others in the three broomsticks, chatting, singing, even the occasional dance, depending on who he knew, or how much he'd drunk. No, tonight, was just a one off, like everyone, sometimes Jess just needed a night to himself, when his thoughts strayed to much more serious topics.

The longer he sat there, naturally the smaller his supply of drink became, and as such, every so often he needed to replenish his stocks, this was one such moment. Rising to his feet, and giving a small sigh Jess set off across the room. After sidling through a pair of... what smelt like trolls, and walking around a group of hags, he reached the bar, about to make his order when a young lady stepped in beside him and placed hers. "I believe I was here first," he said to the lady, turning to look at her incredulously