Blind Date... Of sorts.

The last time Hallie had been on a date it had ended disastrous. She'd agreed to a date with an American wizard she'd met in the Leaky Cauldron. Hallie wasn't pretentious about where she dated, she was easy going. Be it a hike or a five class dinner date the auror didn't care as long as she'd had chance to get to know the person because, after all, that's what dates were supposed to be about - and a little bit of fun didn't hurt along the way.

Sadly, Hallie's previous date had been anything but fun. The American man asked her out on a date with reasoning to get to know her more, although after two hours of talking of nothing but himself and his wondrous school of Ilvemory he left not knowing a single thing about Hallie. It hadn't been a date, it had been a monologue, which meant Hallie's expectations of her date with Gil wouldn't be hard to beat.

Since coming to terms with the facts that her and Theodore were well and truly history Hallie had been getting back into the dating game but after numerous failed dates the auror was starting to question was it really worth it? Maude, however, appeared to think that Hallie was soon to find the perfect man. A man so perfect he couldn't do any wrong. The fellow Order member believed she knew just the man for Hallie: Gil Prichard.

And so, Hallie was due to meet with Maude's brother at eight o clock where she'd booked reservations at Eli's. As much as the date held that element of mystery and had the air of a blind date Hallie couldn't help but remember Gil during his time at Hogwarts. The two never explicitly met but when you date a Gryffindor quidditch player it's hard not to hear about the opposing team members. Not that she believed anything Henry Yewbeam had told her. All the Slytherin players were the same: cheating, ruthless, dishonourable to the game. It had simply been the blondes job to nod, agree and roll her eyes when her boyfriend had his back turned.

Now would be the moment of truth. Hallie, her hair sleeked back, her provocatively-low, lace-black dress and high heels in check, made her way to the door of the restaurant.

'Reservations under Prichard.' She said to the waiter, who responded with a curt bow before leading her to a bar star.

'I'm told your date will collect you from the bar upon his arrival.'

And so, with the clock reading two minutes to eight, Hallie pushed herself on a bar star and ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri. If this date were to go anywhere near as bad as her previous ones then a cocktail would be necessary.

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Gilbert wasn't used to his sister setting him up on dates. In fact, it was the last thing he had expected when her owl arrived with a letter. To be fair, Maude had spoken of the woman before during their dinners every couple of weeks, but rather in passing, really. It wasn't as though Gilbert really listened so much to her when she started chatting about her friends. He didn't know the majority of them, and hadn't expected to ever meet them.

Now, he wished he had listened.

Always one to show up exactly on time, he had left and taken the tube down to the entrance to Diagon Alley before walking the distance to Eli's. He didn't have to check the time to know that he pushed the door open when he was meant to. He was something of a planner, which likely touched in with the mentality he had forged whilst attending at Hogwarts as a Slytherin. Hallie, he was told, was a Gryffindor. So he hoped that she would be able to fill whatever lulls and silences came up.

That worry aside, he was as prepared for the evening as he could be, and he greeted the host with a nod and gave his name. The man said that, yes, the girl was here and waiting at the bar. As they went off to prepare the table, Gilbert followed them with his eyes to discern which would be theirs for the evening. With that, he crossed the floor of the restaurant to stand beside her.

He was a bit paranoid that the top of the bar would be rather sticky, but he leaned his right arm along the edge anyway, facing the blonde he figured had to be her. "Hallie?" He asked, letting his head list to one side as he used his spare hand to unbutton his jacket. That hand slid into his trouser pocket in a gesture that he hoped looked calm. It was one thing to be in charge and confident at the Prophet, but another to deal with what was going to be a potentially good - or disastrous, arguably - first date with someone.

"I hope you've not been kept long," he added, lifting his lips into a smile for her.

Eli's had been a lot busier than she had expected, although the witch hadn't been to the restaurant since her birthday at the start of February, and it had been a Tuesday rather than a Friday when she'd dined with her family to celebrate turning twenty two. After living for twenty two years it was hard to believe that she'd been once married. There was a time when Hallie thought she wouldn't marry until her late thirties, until she'd gotten her career sorted and lived for herself before committing to another. Of course, you can never really plan for life can you? If Hallie had learnt anything in her twenty two years it had been just that.

'Your drink, Madame.' The barman announced as he placed a glass of red liquid before her. 'Shall I start a tab for your table?'

'Oh, no.' Hallie objected rather quickly. 'It's fine I can just pay for this now.' She added, reaching into her purse beginning to count her galleons and sickles.

'How much was it, sorry?'

Although before the barman could reply company had arrived. A man had said her name, placed an arm on the bar and was smiling at her. This had to be Gilbert, or Gil as Maude said he liked to be called.

Gil was a chapping man with features not that different than the Rookwood's that she'd been so used to for a part of her life. The hair was dark, the jawline strong but there was something so different about him than Theodore. It wasn't the curls, nor was it the messier facial hair, it was the way he held himself. Theodore had carried himself with a sense of uppity and utmost pride. Gil, however, seemed humbler.

'No I've literally just got here myself.' She smiled back. 'I'm Hallie... obviously.' The blonde added with a slight grin upon realising that Gil knew exactly what her name was. Still, it only seemed fitting to be polite.

'And you must be Gil?' Hallie asked, twisting her head slightly and raising her eyebrows mischievously, 'I'd shake your hand but I've kind of got them full.' She added, glancing down at the coins before her.

'How did you say it was?' Hallie asked once more, hoping to quickly sort her drink out so that they could be seated and get to know each other better.

'3 galleons, 4 sickles.' The barman replied.

She turned to look at him and his smile widened. At least he hadn't gone up to the wrong person. She was beautiful, unsurprisingly, and just as Maude had described her in the past - friendly, bright. A chuckle escaped when she introduced herself again, but it was brief and good-natured rather than to make fun of her.

"Exactly," Gilbert nodded before following her gesture with his eyes. Pushing off of the bar, he reached out for her hand with his own. It wasn't lost on him that he had essentially broken that all-important touch barrier. "How about I cover the first round? Might make it a bit easier for you," he suggested, amusement lingering on his features. "I was going to get a drink, anyway."

He wasn't going to push or demand that she let him cover the charge for their meal, considering he was just as happy to let her ask that they split. But it felt a bit rude to not offer - especially on their first encounter. Leaning slightly towards the bartender, he requested a spiced rum and coke. He added on their table number so the charge for at least his drink would be put on the tab.

"Ready to head over?" He asked, picking up the drink with one hand and offering her the other to help her down and lead her over to the two-top table waiting for them.

'Okay, but I'll have to get the next round.' Hallie replied with a playful smile. The blonde may have worked hard to achieve a decent salary, and she could have afford the drink herself but she was, at the end of the day, a woman who liked to be cared for and liked to be wine and dined. Gil, it seemed, was a true gentleman. Perhaps her date with Gil was in fact going to go a lot better than her previous failures?

Accepting his hand to help stand from the bar stool, her other hand holding her cocktail, Hallie allowed herself to be guided to the table - taking a cheeky sip of her drink on the way.

'I have to admit,' Hallie began after taking another sip. 'I was a little anxious about coming earlier. The past few dates I've been on have been disasters.'

It wasn't that she wanted to make Gil jealous, or to try and impose the fact that she went on a lot of dates she was simply talking to him as she would a friend. Hallie never was one for boasting about herself and the air of casualness came off in her tone. Had Hallie been on this date a couple of years ago she'd have been kicking herself in the head for bringing up other dates whilst on a date, but there was something about Gil that had eased her - or maybe it was the fact that her previous dates had been so awful that there really was no worry for filtering her thoughts. Once you have a string of bad luck it's easier to just let go and not care so much.


(ooc: majorly sorry about the delay!)