Closed Last Round

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares had always wandered in the evenings. After graduating and joining the quidditch team of his dreams, he’d have thought his life would get easier and he would just manage better, but in reality it hadn’t. He felt very much alone, he lived alone, barely interacted with his teammates and lost contact with any of the people he had counted as friends at school. What it tended to mean was on some nights he was just not tired enough to sleep, so sometimes he would go for a walk. On this particular evening it wasn’t as late as other nights, so places appeared to still be open - well bars seemed to still be open. He walked down an unfamiliar street and noticed a bar with a boarding house attached. It looked like a nice place, quiet. He walked in and made his way to the bar, ”Are you still serving?” he asked, with a polite tone, when he was told they were but not for much longer he nodded and ordered a rum. He paid and thanked the server before finding himself a little spot to sit in. He sighed lightly into his glass as he took a first sip.​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory was relieved to be off for the day. Wanting to unwind after a stressful day, she took a detour to the bar and settled into a table, letting Tyra serve her a colorful drink Mallory hadn't had before. She was halfway through her drink when a man sat near her. "Long day?" She asked conversationally, feeling a bit bolder as she sipped on her alcohol.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares looked up from his drink as someone spoke, he was a little surprised to see someone speaking to him and sighed a little internally at the question, it wasn’t even that he’d had a long day, well, it had been but not probably in the way that would merit a drink like this. He didn’t have a difficult job, quidditch was strenuous and a lot rode on it, but it wasn’t hard - at least not often for him, but he was just drinking anyway, ”Yeah, mostly,” he said, almost trailing off towards the end of his own sentence, ”I’m feeling pretty stiff,” he then said holding up the drink as if it was an explanation, ”I play quidditch,” he then added, as way of explanation. ”You?” he returned the question.​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory listened to him speak. "Oh, nothing quite so adventurous," She replied with a small smile. "I work the front counter." She told him. "My cousin owns this place," She nodded to the bartender. "What position do you play?" She inquired, sipping on her drink again.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares felt a little smile appear on his features quite easily, ”Sounds plenty adventurous to me,” the man said, he didn’t think playing quidditch was that adventurous but that working a front counter was, ”I bet you talk with all sorts of interesting people,” the man said taking a small sip, ”This is my first time here, it’s nice,” he said, ”I’m a chaser, I’ve been a chaser since I was like 11,” he told her. He wasn’t sure why he’d mentioned that he’d been doing it since he was so young, wouldn’t that appear to be pretty sad, that what he’d been doing when he was young.​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory blushed, giggling a little because of the alcohol in her drink. "Oh, very interesting." She teased softly. "'One night or two, oh yes, here's your keys'" She giggled again. "Quidditch sounds rather exciting, though. She sipped her drink, enjoying the warmth. "I've only been here for a little while myself, but it is a very pretty area." She mused, looking intrigued as he said he'd been playing since he was 11. "Oh, wow, that's really cool!" She smiled. "Knowing what you want to do and then going out and just doing it," She sighed, "I wish I had been that brave. Do you enjoy your work?" She asked.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares gave a little smile, ”When you put it like that it’s very interesting,” he was sure it was more interesting than she said, that there would be times it would be good fun, or times where you’d meet interesting people. Quidditch was the same team day in and day out. There was nothing strictly wrong with that and he loved it but it was still less interesting than he was sure people thought. He smiled a little. ”I do enjoy it. Playing quidditch and spending every day flying around if pretty nice,” he said in response. It wasn’t necessarily what he only wanted to do with his life, but it was what he liked doing for the moment. ”It can occasionally get a little dicey, bludgers are unkind,” he joked, ”Have you ever played?”​

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

(I did not completely lose this I'm so sorry! )

Mallory giggled a little bit at his joke, sipping her drink and shaking her head. "Oh no, not at all," She answered honestly. "Father never allowed us near the sport. My brother snuck away to a few matches, I think, but according to Father it was too 'undignified'," She giggled again, shaking her head. She wondered where Dimitri was but knew she would have no luck finding him. He was stubborn, he always had been, and when he decided on things he never seemed to change his mind. It saddened her a little to think he had decided to leave her and Annika behind, but she couldn't help but hope he enjoyed his freedom. She had kept him a secret from Tyra and the others, sure that Dimitri wouldn't be any more interested in this new family than he had been in their old one. She shook her head again, turning to the man next to her with a shy smile. "Mallory," She introduced, holding out a hand. "Mallory Corrins."