Old friends reunited

It was a warm Summer night, the sky was clear and the streets were silent, a pretty much like the Leaky Cauldron, where John, (whose cane was in hand, was wearing his brown tweed jacket, red bowtie, black trousers, and his freshly polished shoes underneath his dark cloak) was slowly heading. John had just returned from his trip around the world. He had visited many places in the past year and a half, places he had picked by finger, since all of them had a strong connection with magic, specifically Ancient Dark Magic. He had found out a few interesting things in his journey, things that had intrigued him and had given him some ideas, ideas such as pursuing a career in the Department of Mysteries as his parents once did, in order to being able to continuing his secret research in peace without raising too much suspicions on him. Another thought was also on his mind, a completely different one, it was the memory of the argument he had with his ex-girlfriend a few months ago.

John was in Romenia with his girlfriend, they were visiting Vlad Tepes' castle, a place that according to the rumors was filled with ancient sorcery, since there was a theory that Vlad Dracula, besides being a vampire, had also secretly been a black sorcerer, and a very powerful one, and this obviously made John very curious. This curiosity was what lead him there in the first place, and now, thinking back, maybe he shouldn't have followed it this once, since it was on this exact trip, that he had broken up with his girlfriend, all due to he leaving her alone in the Castle's entrance, while wondering off inside the Castle searching for signs of Dark Magic, hoping he could obtain any hidden object or spellbook, without his girlfriend finding out what he was doing, and as he was almost finding such object, after detecting a quite obvious sign of black sorcery, he was abruptly interrupted by his girlfriend, that tired of John's recurring mysterious disappearances decided to go after him.
"What?! Hi babe! What are you doing here?" - asked John surprised with her sudden appearance out of nowhere.  
"Hi could ask you the same John. What are you doing here on your own?!" - she replied impatiently.
"Erm... I was just..." - said John while being interrupted by Lisa.
"I'll tell you what you're doing! Once more, you are leaving me on my own and wondering off in one of your stupid walks into nowhere, and as always returning all too quiet, bearing that stupid face face of yours as if you were in the moon or something! Damn you John! I kind of hoped that this trip would bring us together, that you would spend more time with me and paying me more attention since we don't have school to worry about anymore, but instead, you're demonstrating to be just the same old you, distant as if you're keeping secrets from me!.." - interrupted Lisa, starting to cry in frustration.
"Erm... I don't know what to say... I'm..." - answered John.
"That's what I'm talking about! Forget me John! I'm leaving... I need some time to think about us, about me... I dunno! God! Maybe you should do the same, think if this is what you want for you, think if you really want me, because if you do, you better stop keeping secrets from me, and love me as I know you can do. Goodbye." - said Lisa while walking away from him.
"Maybe it's for the best. This way I can do my research in peace, without any unnecessary distractions" - thought John calmly.

"Maybe it was really for the best!" - thought John sighing, and wiggling his cane while approaching the Leaky Cauldron. The purpose of his visit to this old pub in London was to meet his old bestfriend James Rosier and to have a quite interesting chat with him.
"He should be inside waiting for me." - thought John while entering the Leaky Cauldron.

It was quite the pleasant change, the way the warm wind stayed throughout the evening and into later hours. James, who was dressing formally decided to take the day off from the constant search for work. He had been running with the Death Eaters for the last year now, since his world trip only took one year, he had one entire year to join them and start gaining reputation for himself. he hated being known as the son of Evan Rosier, J wanted his own name to be known everywhere, and he was working for it. Already thinking of being one of the many Death Eaters infiltrated in the Ministry of Magic, that idea never left his mind and so he took the day to relax and think about everything else around him and relax a bit. James didn't go to the Leaky Cauldron often, being seen around some of the people that spent their time there was shamefull for him, being a pure-blooded wizard he was used to inviting people into his mansion. Not everyone of course, since he didn't befriend everyone, but only those he found deserving of his friendship or that would be able to aid him in future problems.

It was surprising for him to be invited by John to visit him at such a low place. Both being pure-blooded wizards, despite the fact they were long-time friends, he was expecting to be invited into John's house, specially since he had just came back from his trip around the world himself, and wanting to know all the details of his trip and how all went, he thought privacy was required instead of being in the middle of a bunch of bambling baboons, but if John thought it was alright and wanted him to meet him there, he could accept it once in a while.

James, felt the air being sucked out of his lungs and the suffocating feeling he usually felt and there he was, a couple of blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron. He had just apparated in a place little people noticed when walking by and came out of the little alley, looking around. J, was wearing a black T-shirt saying 'Ramones' with a logo on the middle, black tight jeans and his favorite pair of All-Stars sneakers. He let the air sink in his lungs and recover his breath, enjoying the warm Summer breeze that rolled in. He took the first step going towards the Leaky Cauldron, checking his watch to see if he was too early. He wasn't, atlest not way too early, just the usual. He never arrived on point or later, always earlier. J liked to be the first one on scene so to speak. James walked the couple of blocks he was away the Leaky Cauldron and looked at it, trying to remember the last time he was there, couldn't recall it though.

He grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door in, walking inside. He looked around and saw the usual quiet Leaky Cauldron. It never did get too full he thought. He sat on a table on the far right side of the bar, and waited for the waitress to come. "One butterbeer please." The waitress nodded and parted, going to get it for him. It was quite hot inside due to the nice weather, but he knew it probably would worsen a bit on the next few days, as it usually did. She brought it to him and he took a small sip, looking at the watch and waiting for John to go inside the pub.

At first he wasn't seeing him, but then, as he looked deeply into the pub, he saw James drinking his butterbeer, looking like he loathed the place. That's exactly the facial expression John thought his friend would have, knowing him all his life, he knew precisely that James, like himself, found the Leaky Cauldron shabby and unworthy of their presence, but it was a necessary stop, and it was one easy place to set up a meeting if you're in a hurry, like John was, after coming from a long trip like he did.

Smiling and hugging his old-friend, was how John greated James, saying:
"There you are you old rascal! Missed me, have you?! Sorry for setting up our encouter in this old dump, but I urgently need to hop into Gringotts, and refill my dear old pockets with some of that cursed gold. And I was also dying for a good old cup of mead."
"Hey! You! Fetch us two glasses of your finest mead!" - said John in an imperative tone, pointing but not even bothering to look at the waitress while asking her for the drinks.
"But worry not! - returning to the conversation - Once I finish my business in the bank, off we pop into my manor so we can have a proper and more comfortable chat."

There was this nauseating smell in the air. Despite the wind rolling in through the windows, keeping the pub warm and the low amount of people inside, it still managed to keep it's poor, rugged and badly frequented appeareance. James, kept checking his watch to see the time and notice if it was already past the time that him and John had arranged. It wasn't, and as the time passed, all he could do was drink his butterbeer, which didn't taste like anything special not for his surprise though, and wait for him to arrive so they could catch up and get the hell out of there. Occasionally another guy would walk in or leave, but there was no real buzz.

Eventually, as time went by, the door opened and it was John. On schedule thought James to himself, checking the clock as John approached him with a big smile on his face. He had no idea if John had a nice trip and if he had enjoyed it, but since he was just back and was quite happy, or atleast he seemed like it, he probably had loads of fun and was ready to tell J all about it.

James got up and gave John a little smile, clearing that disgusted look off his face, trying to forget the fact that he was in such a low place. He embraced his friend like they always did, and sat down, waiting to hear everything he had to tell him. John immediatly ordered two glasses of the finest mead they had, even though it surely wasn't anything special. "Hey man, long time no see! How was your trip? You seem like you had loads of fun, got'ta tell me all 'bout it." He looked at the waitress bringing the glasses of mead in the tray and took a sip of his when she put them both down on the table. He grabbed his own and took a sip. "I hate drinking here, not used to this kind of cheap drinks .. But come on, I want to hear all about it."

"All in good time my friend! All in good time!" - said John while drinking the last of mead in one last sip - "Quite distasteful as you've pointed it out, but I was really longing for a cup! Anyway, as I'm sure you won't mind, let's leave this dreadful place at once. I have almost forgotten how nauseating and disguting this old shithole was." - stated John while pointing out the grease encrusted on the walls and in some of the tables to James - "Once more, I must apologize for having invited you to meet me here James, but it was unfortunately necessary as I have stated previously... But enough of this chit-chat, let's go and pay my dear old vault a visit then hehehe." - uttered John as he rose and went into the counter to pay both his and James's bill with his remaining galleons from the trip.