A Night Off {Open}

[Jynx Mayhem]

Outfit

Jynx walked into Enchanted and went right over to the bar first for a drink. She ordered a muggle drink, making the bartender a little confused until she explained it to him. Once she got her drink she spun around on the stool and looked at all the delicious people. Jynx had never actually had a boyfriend, or friends for that matter. Everyone thought she was too weird, even the Ravenclaws. Now that she had more time she wanted to find someone that actually wanted to be with her. She looked at all the people and hoped she might find someone here.

[Jude Dawson]

Jude stepped into the new club hesitantly. It had been months since the attack in Hogsmeade, and he had spent much of that time recovering from his grief back at home with his parents. He'd lost two friends in the attack, and he hadn't even been around to save them. He had dated Becky for only a few months, but he still wished he could have been there for her. And then there was Maddy. She wasn't his girlfriend or anything, but he considered her a friend. And now they were both gone.

Jude almost didn't come back to London. It seemed safer to hide away with his parents than to face the world as it was. There was just so much darkness all around, and he wasn't sure he could take it. But in the end, he decided that hiding wasn't what Becky and Maddy would have wanted. Maddy had died saving some children... she was a hero. She wouldn't want him to hide.

So he was back in London. And tonight was the first time he had the nerve to go out and do something social. Of course he avoided Hogsmeade. Instead he stayed in London and decided to check out the new club. He had once been a regular at Spellbound, but now that Maddy was no longer there to serve his drinks, he knew he could never set foot in the place. Instead, there was Enchanted, and maybe the new location could be a fresh start. Merlin knew he needed one.

He looked around cautiously. It was almost as if he was expecting an attack at any moment. But he glanced ahead at the bar. Maybe if he had a drink, he could loosen up and relax. Maybe he could even have a little fun.

He approached the bar, and signalled for the bartender, a young blonde woman. "Could I get a firewhiskey?"

[Yvonne Marquette]

Yvonne's first thought as she looked at the man in front of her was that he looked like he needed a firewhiskey. A young guy out on the town, surrounded by beautiful women shouldn't look as if he was about to face a firing squad, but that was exactly how this poor kid looked.

"Sure thing, hon," she said, turning around quickly, and grabbing a glass and the bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey.

When she placed the glass in front of him, she gave him an encouraging smile. "Whoever she is, I hope she knows what she's losing," she told him, wrongly assuming that he was recovering from a bad breakup.

[Jude Dawson]

Jude managed a small smile. "Thanks. But no... it's not like that."

He took a long gulp from his drink, keeping his eyes on her as he did. Bartenders were always known for being great listeners. Maddy had been a great listener, and, as he recalled, she had really helped him out after his breakup with Becky. Somehow, it felt like he was coming full circle. A new club, a new bartender... It all came back around again.

"Just thinking of a friend of mine who died," he said, shrugging. "She was a bartender, too."

[Yvonne Marquette]

No wonder he looked like a lost puppy. Yvonne could identify with loss, to be sure. By all rights, she should be still working with her parents at their restaurant. But she'd lost her mother first, then her father, then the restaurant. It was never easy to lose someone who mattered to you, whether it was a friend or a relative.

"I'm really sorry to hear that," she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "If you need to talk, let me know. I'll be here to listen."

[Jude Dawson]

Jude returned her smile. "Thank you," he said. "But I think I'll pass for now. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, if you know what I mean. It happened a few months ago, and I'm just trying to get back to normal now, you know? Just keep the drinks coming."

He winked at her, then took another long drink from his glass. It wasn't that he wanted to get drunk or anything like that.... he just wanted a few drinks to help him loosen up. And maybe to help him forget.