Why so serious?

It was late night. Streets were cold and desolate, with few passersby who were literally running towards their goals. Hayley was freezing in tiny leather jacket, which obviously wasn't made for low temperatures. She was whistling a song, desperately trying to fill the silence. Snow brings joy and laugh to many people. Even the rare passers looked happy while resisting the wind. Hayley? She has always been more for warmer climates, the sun and the beach. Nostalgia and desire for the sun dragged her into the memories when she enjoyed the paradisiacal landscapes of Australia. Her reverie was interrupted by a sharp wind, for whom she hated winter even more. But at the end, the weather was expected given the time of the year.

As she walked, she grabbed her wand and immediately felt much safer. She was thinking about some charms to warm herself up when she saw a bar down the street.
Feeling relief, she hurried towards this seemingly seedy place. The bar was one of those places that people usually avoided, especially young girls, especially at this time of night. However, the mere thought of warm tea made Hayley go forward.
It did not take too long to see similarity with a Leaky Cauldron, and very quickly she came to the conclusion that this place owns someone with the wand.

She stopped in the doorway, peeking inside. Indeed, the place was almost empty, except for a few people who were sitting at the long bar, and only one table was occupied. It seemed like a place from Knockturn Alley, as a refuge for Death Eaters, and the man behind the bar just confirmed Hayley's thoughts. It was small, a bit stuffy and hot but somehow comfortable, and Hayley knew she had found her new favorite place. As she walked towards the bar, she pulled out her wand and wallet. For a moment she thought to take off his jacket, but shiver of the cold weather was still present, so she decided to keep her on for now. She sat between two men both of whom looked as they were million miles away. Not paying any attention to them, nor to a bit scary waiter, she took the menu even though she already knew what she wanted. Noticing that almost everyone drank strong drink, she thought to take one herself, but given the circumstances, tea was much more appealing.

"Fruit tea, please." with a smile, maybe a little too perky for this place, she turned to the waiter who wasn't even looked at. She puts her elbows on the counter, leaned her head on arms, thinking about how to kill boredom. For a moment she wanted to leave immediately, but between the the boredom and snow, the choice was easy. Even thinking about coldness and the wind made her shuddered. She thanked the waiter when he put the tea in front of her, but once again he ignored her. As she took a small sip, she leaned back on her chair, putting both hands around the cup in order to heat up.

It was only Tobias's first day back at his job for the Ministry, but somehow he already felt a serious need for a drink. That was becoming less and less out of the ordinary, he supposed, considering how often he frequented this bar on the outskirts of town. The mood within the pub was dull, if not dank, and the dark-haired man felt that it couldn't have suited him more. Before Colleen and Haleigh's deaths, perhaps he would have ventured elsewhere for a drink. Actually, he probably would have just stayed home to do so. After all, the man had never actually been the type to drink, except perhaps conversationally.

Now, he was most certainly the type. It had started slowly, but grown into a terrible habit that he wasn't sure how to break. Tobias knew it was a bad idea. He knew it was bad for his health. But his only saving grace, he supposed, was the fact that he never allowed himself to get so trashed that he couldn't make it home. He just wanted that little buzz, enough to distract him for a while, and then he would stop and let it wear off before he left the bar.

He hadn't been there very long when the door opened and a girl walked in, sitting between Tobias and another man. A fruit tea? Odd for a pub like this one, he mused silently. Lifting an eyebrow, he waited to see if the bartender actually gave her a plain old tea, rather than adding something to it. For all he knew, she could have been a regular with a special order from the bartender. But apparently it was actually just a regular, normal tea.

Turning his head to look at her, Tobias tried to don an expression that was vaguely friendly, though he couldn't tell if it actually worked. After all, a little girl had realized the other day that he was sad without his even trying to interact with her. So he was probably a bit more obvious than he really should have been.

"So, you came all the way out to this pub... for a tea? That doesn't seem like the typical reason for being at a bar," he pointed out with a tilt of his head.

Lost in her own world, Hayley needed a minute to realize that the man was talking to her. Trying to catch his words, she looked up. "Then I guess I'm not typical person." with small smile she turned to the man. Though she wouldn't give him more than thirty, he looked much older. Maybe it was because of the small wrinkles around the eyes, messy hair or lowered shoulders, or even smile. Although it seemed friendly, it didn't reach his eyes.
"I wouldn't say I came here on purpose. I just wanted to get warm. warm up a bit. And besides, it's late but the night is still young for those like me. I would guess you know what I mean." the corners of her lips curled into a pleasant smile while she was pointing to his glass. It was almost empty and Hayley suspected it wasn't the first one. Well, she couldn't blame him.

Alcohol is a mirror with two faces. Everything starts out at the bar, for fun or sorrow. But quickly it swallows you and when you become aware of it, it's too late. The man looked like he was finding cure in drink, which would mean that he had lost something or someone. She quickly interrupted her thoughts, returning to reality. She bit her lip, reminding herself to stay away from other people's lives.

"I would like to drink, to forget all the boring things such as obligations and so. But I can't. Alcohol doesn't affect me well. I got drunk pretty fast and than I start thinking about things such as life and my purpose and morals and other philosophical things and it's annoying and boring. And then I hate myself for doing something I shouldn't or not being able to do something I should and then I really wanna cry though I'm not that type of a girl. And I'm talking to much, am I?"
Her cheeks became slightly blushed, so she let her hair fall over her face. She hates these moments, when she gets carried away and talk too much. But she couldn't resist soft laugh either. "Sorry, I won't bother you anymore." taking one sip, she put hands on her lap.