Sneaking A Sip

Hallie's eyes saddened when Brant admitted his loneliness. Hallie could not only sympathise with him, she could really understand how he must have felt. Whenever she went home for the holidays Hallie was lonely. Although ever since her brother vanished, regretfully at her command, the time away from Hogwarts was always quieter. She had her Mum, but her Mum worked during the days so she couldn't go exploring or get up to mischief with the little tyke that always strummed the strings of her heart.

'I-I'm not lonely.' Hallie explained, a tone of fake confidence ringing through. It was true, when at Hogwarts Hallie wasn't lonely. She had a large network of friends from all different houses - perhaps fewer from Slytherin mind - and she had her cat Peardrop who would curl up at the bottom of her bed to keep her feet warm at night. No. She thoroughly enjoyed her time at Hogwarts, even if her brother Toby haunted her thoughts every day.

Hallie smirked at Brant trying to recover his sexuality. 'Hey, I'm pro-homo.' She joked, winking her eyelid at him before taking another sip of gillywater. Hopefully for her the joke would lighten the mood, she never talked about her brother. Nobody could know she was the reason for her own sadness. Hallie had been young when she stamped Toby as an outcast. The gryffindor was foolish and naive to think she'd turn into a werewolf if her brother remained in her life, however that wasn't an excuse to cast away her guilty conscience.

Brant sat and listened raising an eyebrow when she said she was not lonely. " right" he said then chuckled at her words " well, good " he said smiling as he looked at her. " so why come here if your not lonely?" he asked he could see a look in her eyes that he had seen many times in his travels by people who had been through something terrible and were trying to get over but still hadn't. " so who'd you lose?" he asked softly as he sipped his drink." I have seen that look in your eyes before so its nothing new, brother I'm guessing" he said and gulped deeply knowing his family hunted Werewolves from passed ages gone by, he wasn't sure if that was the reason but spoke any way.

" was it a ware or vampire?" he asked " well which ever it was i'm sure their dead by now, my family have a history for werewolf hunting , my uncle is Edward Donahue, best hunter in the land, guess that's why I left , to stop being told I should be like him." he said and folded his arms across his chest. It was then he realized he'd spoken mostly about himself " oops sorry Hallie been talking about me, so tell me about yourself" he asked feeling wanted to know her better not quite sure if she wanted to know more about him .

Hallie stared the stranger in the eye, a slight flicker of fury in them. 'I'm here because I have been bombarded with work because of my NEWT's and needed to get away from the study if you must know.' Brant seemed to shrug this reply off and spoke this time about her brother and werewolves. Did he know something.

Her heart began to best fast. Had Brant's family found her brother and killed him? It was the only explanation that made any sense! Yes she had wanted him to go but never wanted Toby dead! She gulped. 'I haven't lost anyone.' The Gryffindor lied. Her lips formed into a pout as her tongue nervously rubbed her front teeth.

Brant knew something and almost let something slip, attempting to recover by saying it was about him. Although if he had lost a brother surely he wouldn't have spoken about it to a stranger, especially as cryptic as that. Well, Hallie wouldn't of anyway.

So tell me about yourself. He told her. This wasn't a question, more of a demand - or so Hallie took it. What else did he already know about her. Hallie's leg started to shake up and down, she stared into the clear gillywater hoping for some answers. Should she continue to talk to him? Maybe he could reunite her and Toby? Or maybe he though she was a werewolf too and wanted her dead? Hallie wouldn't blame him, she despised them too. Or should she retreat to the castle? No. That was the cowards way out.

Her reply was a one word answer: 'Why?' She hadn't meant to blurt it out the way she did, her voice shook slightly and she raised the glass of gillywater to her lips hoping to drink her nerves and suspicions away.

Brant looked at her and sighed " sorry bad habit I have " he said " won't ask again, it just... I've been away from the social pleasantries I forget where I am , I did not mean to insult you" he said softly as he looked into the bottom of his glass. He didn't want to upset her he was just trying to make conversation and not make her feel like he was interrogation her he finished his drink . " look if you want me to go just say I don't want to make you uncomfortable" he said " but it is nice to have a human to talk to other than Tricks " he admitted , feeling uncomfortable himself but he tried to smile knowing she was a nice person and he was just out of practice. " sorry if I put my foot in my mouth their" he said hopping to repair any damage he'd caused.

Hallie eased slightly at his words. Although she didn't know him for sone reason she could sense truth in what he was saying. Maybe he didn't know anything about Toby after all? Just a lucky guess? 'It's no problem.' She said, smiling and hoping to repair any damage she may have caused herself I'd she'd offended Brant with her defences.

'I'm a student at Hogwarts.' Hallie told him. Dam she know felt like an idiot pointing out the obvious. 'and when I finish in the summer I'm hoping to become an auror.' She added, hoping that it'd prove she isn't an idiot pointing out the obvious. On the contrary Hallie had an eye for detail and usually pointed out things that others overlooked. 'But I tell you.' She added. 'I'm not half being swamped with work, it's driving me crazy being chained to a desk all the time.'

Brant heard her speak again after the silence , he didn't respond to her mentioning she was a student , that much he knew from her cloak and the badge. hearing her plans he smiled "good choice I know a few who are Aurors, good men" he said softly he smiled again hearing her talk about paper work and being swamped. " its not all paper work, your out catching crooks too" he made his class fill again as he caught sight of the bar man turn his back. Lifting his finger to his mouth he shushed her not to mention anything .

" I do this a lot, saves money" he said and chuckled as he took a sip of the refilled glass. He liked talking to Hallie he felt he could just relax around her and not think of things to come.

Hallie nodded at the mention of Brant knowing aurors. 'Catching the crooks is bit I'm looking forward to most.' She explained, an excited grin spreading across her face. Hallie wasn't looking forward to the paper work of the job, which came with every job, the best part for her would be the adventures, daring duels and seeing justice prevail.

Hallie smiled as she watched Brant have his drink refilled. It would be unwise for Hallie to have another drink, time was ticking on and if she wanted to get back to the castle unnoticed she'd need to make a move sooner or later. The Gryffindor gazed down at a brown leather strapped around her wrist, the face clear and encircled in gold: Her father's watch. 'I best be making a move soon.' Hallie moaned watching the hands tell her the time was twenty past eleven.

Brant chuckled seeing her smile " Don't take this wrong but..you have a nice smile. " he said. On hearing her mention the time he pulled up his sleeve and opened his leather covered explorer strapped watch and nodded. " yeah as much as I like talking to you I would feel bad if you got into trouble because of me. " he said sipping his drink " um.. if you want we could do this again another day, nothing bad or ulterior motives, its just nice talking to some one whose not all about wears or work." he downed a little more of his drink and waited to hear if she would or if his social skill had let him down once again. He brushed his hair once more from his face now he caught his refection and saw just how tired he looked in it.

Hallie couldn't help but smile when he complimented her, even if she had found it slightly creepy. 'Oh you wont get me into trouble.' Hallie added hastily! It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed the conversation, despite it being a bit too personal in parts the majority of it had gone rather well.

Hallie waited for Brant to down the remains of his drink before replying, thinking about if she really wanted to meet up with him again. Maybe in the summer perhaps? Right now she really should be concentrating on her NEWT's if she wanted to become an auror, or employee within the department of magical law enforcement at the very least. 'I'll write to you.' The Gryffindor finally came to a conclusion. 'I shouldn't really be sneaking out, although the temptation may get to me, and I can borrow one of the schools owls.' It'd be nice to have a pen pal, at the moment she only ever wrote to her Mum and ministry officials inquiring about auror training and more about the role.

Brant heard her and nodded he was a little saddened she didn't take up his offer to meet up again but he just guessed that he had put his foot in his mouth one to many times and sighed. " sure, guess that would be okay" he said and took out some paper writing an address down he handed it to her and tried to smile best he could. " Here its not much but its how you can contact me " he added " if you want to that is. " his voice seem saddened at the prospect of her leaving. His charm was a dud and that all he had to look for in his life was a dingy semi dark room above the broomsticks when he wasn't with his family or traveling. He looked down at his back pack and gave it a gentle kick as if to say it was the back packs fault but he new it was his own for not being a social man, or a social wall flower.