Safe to Shore

[Bella Matthias]

Russell was a nice place. On a sunny day, it was a beautiful place. Isabella loved Russell, and it was of no surprise to find her strolling the streets of the small town. Isabella had found herself working a bit more at Eeylops, and since she was still living with her father, she had a bit of money to spend. So the blonde had decided to spend the windy day shopping, but wasn't having much luck. Bella had managed to find herself a warm coat, but other than that, nothing was working. She had even ventured into the Muggle side of the town, but that too, was a waste of time. Knowing that if she had someone to go shopping with her, the trip would have been a lot more fun, even if it was still unsuccessful. Sighing, Isabella felt more lonely than ever, and the weather seemed to match the blonde's mood, as it was getting worse and worse as the day drew on.
Sighing again, Bella made her way back to the ferry. The Slytherin Graduate wasn't overly fond of apparating, and figured that since she loved being out on the water, the ferry was a perfect way to travel. Clutching her purse close to her, Isabella gasped aloud as she felt a giant drop of water land on her. Looking up, Bella saw that the clouds had turned angry, and were starting to throw their water down. Glaring at the sky, Bella cursed the typical New Zealand weather, and started to speed up. It was to no avail however, as the rain bucketed down, and a sudden flash of lightening lit the sky. Within seconds, she was soaking wet. Glancing around, Bella saw a bar that looked to still be open. Dashing inside, the blonde decided that she could have a warm drink and wait for the storm to pass before heading home. She hoped desperately that there would be a later ferry, or else she would have to apparate. Isabella took the clip holding her hair up out, and removed her coat, hanging it on the back of a chair, looking around to find the pub quite empty. Taking a few galleons from her purse, Bella made her way to the counter to order something warm.

 

[Rephael Matthias]

Having recently invested in a pub in Russell, New Zealand, Rephael Matthias thought it was a pretty good investment. The loner of the family has successfully moved out of his brother's house, got a place above the pub and was working alone for the night. Rephael was currently wiping off the tables. He might own the place, but he was not above making it clean. He could hear the rain pounding outside. His amber eyes, looking more like gold from a genetic mutation thanks to James Harlow that placed on the family where his dad descended from, blinked before continuing to look down upon the table. Rephael finishing wiping the tables down before he heard someone enter the pub. It was relatively empty, and he was going to be closing up soon. Whomever they were, they were probably going to be trying to escape from the storm. Rephael slung the washcloth over his shoulder and he made his way to the counter where the customer would be waiting. Rephael would have been slower, but the floors were dry so he did not have to worry about possibly slipping and falling, which would be really bad on his part. Rephael walked behind the counter and then he started off with what his normal greeting was. "What can I ge-" he stopped immediately when his amber eyes landed right on Bella White.

'Oh you've got to be joking,' thought Rephael. He had half a mind to tell her that the pub was closed, and that she would have to elsewhere. He looked outside and the lightning lit up his amber eyes. 'Seriously, cursed weather.' He would be extremely rude to throw her on her ass outside in the rain. Rephael reached to his shoulder where the wash cloth rested, and he put it down on the counter. He leaned forward a bit, his eyes narrowing and he asked coldly, "Are you stalking me or something?" Really, she was hard to get rid of. Like a gnat or something. He'd never understand. Rephael looked outside once more and wondered if it would come a flood. He wasn't that close to the waters but it was still something that crossed his mind. Rephael turned his attention back to Bella and he thought that the girl might be a bit out of her mind. He rarely used her name when he thought about her. Blondie was what he called her. There was nothing interesting about him. He was perfectly happy being alone, so why was she still around? He was over the chick that cheated on him, he didn't need anyone else to make him content. Well, his life was hell thanks to Sethos but he got away. Now it was getting better and then blondie finds him. Again.​

 

[Bella Matthias]

Isabella's eyes snapped straight to the face of the bar attendant as she heard the person speak. The blonde had recognised the sweet lullaby of sound that had emitted from the man's mouth immediately, but to set her eyes on him made her feel like she was in a dream. Isabella hadn't seen Rephael since her graduation; and even then, she didn't really see him, for he had disappeared as soon as the ceremony was over. Still, it was lovely of him to come.
Isabella noticed that Rephael hadn't finished his sentence before he leaned over and asked if she was stalking him. Her heart dropped instantly, yet a snarl grew on her lip, ready to retort back. The blonde hadn't met Rephael on the best of terms, but liked his attitude; however, she didn't expect such a snarky greeting. Bella would have preferred it if he had been excited. But she supposed it wasn't his personality to be excited about seeing her. As someone who had been used to getting whatever she wanted, this had been a hard thing to let sink in. Isabella narrowed her eyes at the boy as she took a seat on the bar stool, looking into Rephael's amber eyes. Oh it was a joy to be stuck in on a rainy night with such a guy, but she wasn't about to let him trample on her mood. "It is not my fault that you happen to be a waiter in one of my favourite places to shop." Isabella snapped back. It was a bit of a disappointment that the boy had only achieved the status of 'waiter' since he left school. The blonde rolled her eyes. "I don't understand how I can be stalking you, if this is the first I have seen of you in a long time." The grouchy girl replied.

 

[Rephael Matthias]

Rephael narrowed his amber eyes, ready to snap at whatever she was planning on saying to him. She had to be stalking him or something. How else could she have found him here, in his pub? He was nowhere near Hogwarts New Zealand. But apparently fate kept dropping the little blondie right on his lap. Oh what was he going to do about her? He wanted to be able to get away, be alone but now he had to deal with this. He sighed and rolled his eyes. She even took a seat on the bar stool, so it seemed like she was not going anywhere. That was not pleasant to his amber eyes. He was close to closing, and look what happened. He would have to somehow convince her to leave. A clap of thunder was heard and knew that convincing her to leave would not be easy. Definitely not easy at all. Rephael heard her little snarky remark, and it made him drop the towel that had been on his shoulder. A waiter? Seriously? Did he look like a waiter? Well, maybe right now but he was not about to give her that pleasure. She would not see him squirm at all.

"A waiter? Really? I own this joint, and have you looked around? This is one of your favorite places to shop? You must be an alcoholic. No wonder you look a bit skinny and hair looks stringy." Figuring that attacking her looks would benefit him. His attitude needed a little readjusting, but did he care? Nope. He was going to act how he wanted, and there was nothing the girl could do about it. Rephael sighed and he shook his head. She was here for a reason, and as soon as he figured that out, he would serve whatever it was to her, and then she would get the hell out. Then he would be free from her for another year or whatever. "Look, you came in my pub, what do you want. Stalking or not, you want something." Rephael shrugged and he tapped his bony fingers against the bar. He was very impatient, and he was wanting to get this done and over with. Could a night get any worse? Another clap of thunder, and then a sigh from Rephael. Someone was throwing this storm on him for a reason. Making him stuck here with his somewhat stalker.​

 

[Bella Matthias]

A scowl grew on Bella's face when Rephael insulted her. She realized her slip of tongue by making it seem like the pub was her favourite place to shop, but she wasn't about to let him realize she had made the mistake. And her hair? Stringy?! That was the biggest load of bull she had ever heard. Her hair was beautiful. It was her main priority, the thing that made her feel most beautiful, so to insult her hair made Bella really angry. Bella jumped slightly at the thunder clap and sighed as she looked outside, not feeling that happy to be where she was at the moment. Bella looked back at Rephael as he rudely asked her what she wanted. Was chivalry really dead? Why couldn't the guy just be glad to have a beautiful blonde in his pub? "Yes, you look like a freakin' waiter." Bella snapped back, "No I am not an alcoholic, I just like Russell. Being called skinny isn't an insult, and my hair looks amazing. Now get me a Butterbeer please, because I am wet and cold and really tired, and will hex you if you try to insult me again." The blonde replied, glaring at the boy behind the bar. Because that was what he was acting like. A boy. Not a man. And the young blonde was getting really sick of boys pretending to be men. Bella really wanted to order a Firewhisky, after a horrible greeting, but knew that would just fuel his 'alcoholic' fire.

 

[Rephael Matthias]

Oh it looked like Bella here was getting a little feisty. Rephael smirked slightly, but it was hardly visible at all. She claimed that he looked like a waiter, and he probably did. He was not denying that. He owned this place, and there were no waiters working right now, so he was handling everything except the kitchen. His specialty was mixing drinks though. Not that she would see any of that. She had yet to even say what the hell she wanted. He was getting a little impatient, and one could tell by the look he was casting out of his amber eyes that sparked like flames. "Is this the manners you give when you step into a public place? God, I would hate to see you in a stranger’s house." Rephael was merely musing this now. He tapped the bar and he looked down at the bar as he heard yet another clap of thunder. That was really getting annoying. Well, not as annoying as this girl in front of him. Rolling his eyes, he barely listened to how she stated that being called skinny was not an insult and how her hair looked amazing. She was not doing a good job at convincing him of anything at all. She was just one of those awful snobby girls anyway.

"Oh you are not an alcoholic? Whatever floats your boat." Rephael shrugged his shoulders as he prepared her a butterbeer like she ordered, finally. Once he finished pouring the glass, he slid it over to her, not caring if it tipped over and spilled all over her. Rephael was really hateful toward those that got on his nerves. He conjured a chair and he sat down behind his bar, and he waited for her to get done, and perhaps leave. Sure, his pub was also a small Inn, comparable to the Leaky Cauldron, but he thought that his pub was a little better. Probably because, he, well, owned it.​

 

[Bella Matthias]

The young blonde scowled at the boy as he questioned her manners. He was being just as rude, and, to sound incredibly childish, he had started it. Isabella noticed he wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying which peeved her off. It was just her luck to end up in the company with incredibly immature boys. She wondered if every guy was like this, or if she just had bad luck. Either way, Bella was sick of it. Bella jumped slightly at the clap of thunder, snapping her out of her angry thoughts and back at the boy in front of her. "Well, I can't say much about your manners, Matthias, is this how you treat every customer, or am I just special?" Bella replied confidently. The boy in front of her seemed quite a bit different to what she had perceived of him on their first meeting. That was a few years back however, and Bella knew people changed faster than she liked.
A gasp left Bella's lips as she felt liquid splash against her. She looked down at her now stained clothes before looking back at Rephael who had conjured a chair. "Are you serious?" Bella muttered quietly, feeling less impressed by the second. Taking out her wand, Bella dried herself before glaring at Rephael. Taking a sip of the Butterbeer, Bella closed her eyes for a second, savoring the taste. It wasn't as good as Firewhisky would have been, but it definitely hit the spot. Peering outside, Isabella noticed that there was no let up on the storm, so looking back at the owner, Bella asked, "I don't suppose you have a spare room for the night?"

 

[Rephael Matthias]

Rephael narrowed his eyes a bit, the amber color almost dancing like flames in what light there was in the pub that was his own. Rephael did not really want to pay much attention to Isabella, and thought that she was perhaps one of the most annoying customers he had ever had to endure, but she was not as bad as the men that came in here, already drunk off of their ass. So Bella here was not that bad. She still got on his nerves. There was something about her that just made him want to roll his eyes and throw himself off of a bridge. One without shallow water. "You are truly, special, Isabella," hissed Rephael with sarcasm lacing his every syllable. He truly did not think about her in such a manner, but if she were special, then she would need a very special school and life. None of which he believed involved him. The fact that when he pushed the drink over to her, Rephael had not expected the drink to splash on her. But it definitely was better than it not splashing on her. At least she knew how to perform magic and dry herself off before she got sticky. Rephael looked down with his amber eyes before he debated on throwing her out if she continued to waste his time in here. He was a pub owner, and he did not enjoy having his time wasted. Perhaps he should have spiked the butterbeer, then left her passed out on the floor. That would have been hilarious. As he thought of that, she asked him if he had a spare room for the night. "I have a couple upstairs. Down the hallway to the right here, and up the stairs. The rooms are marked 2A and 2B. The one marked with my name on it is off limits." At least he was giving her that. He reached underneath the counter and laid a key on the table that was marked with ‘A’. The room was hers, for one night.​

Out of Character:

Sorry it sucks. He just hates working with me.