A night in Leaky Cauldron (Open)

Briony looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow was he crushing on Shaun or something? If he was this was either going to be funny to watch or horribly awkward so that one of the adults might leave.

"Greetings Miles."

Her eyebrow raised further as he asked her in a surprisingly casual manner if he had seen her around Hogwarts, tilting her her to one side Briony glared softly at the boy, before in a cold voice saying.

"I am Professor Romain. I teach muggle duelling."

Miles sensed that Professor Romain, was offeneded that he didn't know who she was. " Oh muggle duelling, i've signed up for that class, im looking foward to it" Miles said, he could could still tell Professor Romain wasnt too impressed with him, he picked up his Gillywater and took a long sip, still feeling bad that he had offended Professor Romain.

Shaun smiled at that, "Well, mine aren't that bad. They respond alright. Perhaps Muggle Duelling is a bit unorthodox-"
He stopped when Briony called someone to join the table. He smiled when he saw Miles.
"Hello Miles, how's the brewing going on?"
He too raised an eyebrow when Miles said he didn't know Briony. She was pretty well-known, thats the impression he got.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I did when I was a student."

Miles looked over at Professor Moody as he said he did muggle duelling when he was a student, " Oh did you, i still feel bad using magic on muggles though" Miles said

Miles tried to concentrate on the conversation but his thoughts kept wondering to the idea of him and Professor Moody holding hands while walking around the enchanted lake, Miles Moody, it just rolls off the tongue Miles thought to himself, he then suddenly realised he had been staring at Professor Moody for far too long.

"So... Professor been enjoying the summer" Miles asked Professor Moody in an attempt to cover up his previous longing stare

Briony raised her eyebrow even more when Miles told her that he had in fact signed up for her class but he didn't know what her name was or even just how strict she was on students who showed informality towards her.

"Excellent, I shall enjoy teaching you, I hope you read the class rules when you signed up, especially the ones about being late to my lesson."

Over the top of a tot of firewhiskey Briony saw the interaction between the two and especially Miles and held back a snigger, oh poor Professor Moody...

"Well I dont think that you can punish someone for violence in my lesson as easily as you could yours. And in muggle duelling we use no magic, that's why it's called muggle duelling."

She sighed.

Miles sensed Professor Romain's cold tone, " Oh well thats good, because I don't believe in harming muggles with magic" Miles said " Oh and don't worry i've never been late to a class and i never will be" Miles smiled trying to lighten the mood, but Professor Romain still stared at him with a cold stare

Miles was begining to to think that she didn't want Miles attending her class, Miles was taken back by this

Shaun raised an eyebrow when he noticed Miles staring. He had considered asking him to be his apprentice.
"Yes, I had a good summer." A smile graced Shaun's lips, thinking of Bree.
"How About you? and Briony?"
"I wouldn't condone using magic against muggles too. But they insist on killing magical people without consideration. That's what makes me think..." Shaun trailed off and made up for it with long sip of firewhiskey.
Briony and Miles were not getting on with each other, as far as he could tell.

Briony caught the look on both mens faces and thought that she best tone the unimpressed look down to just her normal self, her cold glare relaxed itself and Briony sat back into her seat again.

"Oh aye, and what were you up to?" she asked Shaun with a wink, knowing what that smile meant, it was the smile that only came with a thought of someone special.

"My summer?"

Sighing slightly Briony remembered the quite frankly hellish time she had but merly nodded swiftly.

"Was satisfactory."

Shaun chuckled at Briony's wink, "Just what you're thinking, I'm sure." He winked back.
He noticed her sigh, that didn't match with the statement, but he chose not to pry.
He poured himself another shot and smiled sheepishly at Briony. "How much did we take? I've lost count."

Miles watched Professor Romain and Professor Moody talking with one another, they were exchanging smiles and winks, Miles knew there was something meant behind these gestures, something that they were keeping between each other. So Miles leaned back on his stool taking another sip of his Gillywater. He began thinking about all the potions he had been brewing over the summer break

His most favortie was the ageing potion he successfully brewed, Miles than began going through the steps of making it in his head. Suddenly a thought entered his mind, he remembered his mother said that Professor Moody might make him his apprentice

Disappointment ran throw Miles, he knew that Professor Moody would never let him be his apprentice, after attempting to brew amortentia in Moaning Myrtles Bathroom, he's lucky he just got off with a detention, he could have been expelled. Miles looked over at Professor Moody and smiled, he'd been so lenient towards Miles.

Briony smiled, it wasn't often that she got to hear about things that were going on with her fellow professors lives and she wondered just who this lucky lady was, and taking a glance at Miles, causually wondered if it could be a male.

"So, tell me, who's the lucky lady, male, creature?"

Chuckling softly Briony shrugged her shoulders and she looked at the bottle as if to give her some sort of answer.

"Uhm...about 8 maybe...possibly? I have no idea."

With that she turned to Miles and looked carefully at him, he looked like he wasn't very happy, maybe she did upset him too much and she smiled softly at him, leaning back on his chair.

"Butterbeer for your thoughts Miles?"

As Miles was getting lost in his thoughts, suddenly his thougths were interupted by Professor Romain's voice. "Huh?" Miles said in his confussion, Professor Romain repeated her question " Oh, um.. yeah that would be great" Miles smiled back at her

Miles noticed that Professor Romain was in more of a friendly mood, Hmm perhaps, it's because of all the fire whiskey she's had Miles thought to himself, either way Miles was pleased that he wasn't hated anymore

Briony stood up and walked to the bar without falling over which was quite an achievement for her, smiling softly she asked the barman for a butterbeer and once she had it returned to the table handing it to Miles.

"Now! The fun part. You have to tell me...what you were thinking about, in order to drink it."

She smirked, waving her wand over the top of the bottle so the liquid couldn't come out.

Miles waited for Professor Romain to return with the butterbeer, he didnt want to look at Professor Moody in case he started staring at him and dreaming of their future life, so Miles looked down at his feet.

Professor Romain returned with the butterbeer, she told him that he couldnt drink until he revealed what he was thinking about. Miles froze, a cold shiver ran down his spine, he couldn't very well just say that he was thinking about how much he loved Professor Moody and that he'd already had began planning out their lives.

"Um.. well I was just thinking about.... potions" Miles manged to blurt out Yes, potions i'll work with that Miles thought to himself "So yes potions, I was just going through the steps of how to make an ageing potion" Miles smiled weakly, he looked over at Professor Romain hoping she would wave her wand over the butterbeer allowing him to drink it

Shaun watched in amusement as Briony played Butterbeer for your thoughts.
He's thinking about potions! That's persistant. Maybe I'd offer him the apprenticeship today.
"Oh she's a lady alright. Her name is Bree, though she goes by Archer, fiery one, she is." Shaun shook his head, smiling.
"Oh Miles, I's meaning to ask. Would you like to be my apprentice? I like your dedication for potions." Shaun gave him an encouraging smile, totally oblivious of his student's thoughts.

As Professor Moody said that he was already involved with someone else Miles's heart sank, Bree... i cant believe it Miles thought to himself, he tried hard not to cry but he could feel a tight not forming in his stomach, his eyes began to feel moist, he quickly wiped them not wanting the Professors to see him

Professor Moody offered Miles an apprenticeship, this news should have thrilled Miles making him estatic, but he was still dealing with the pain of his heart slowly breaking. Miles forced out a smile

" Oh Professor, that would be so great, I would love to be your apprentice" as he said it Miles felt a tear roll down his cheek, he frantically tried to think of an excuse " Oh wow look im so happy im actually crying" Miles said weakly

Briony watched the interaction between the two men with a small smile on her face, it was cute just how oblivious Shaun seemed to be to his students affections for him but it didn't get much harsher than what just happened and it was partly her fault and she felt a little bad because of it.

"Hey, you're going to have great fun in potions yeah? Just enjoy your apprenticeship okay?"

Smiling quickly Briony hoped that Miles would stop crying soon, and tried to stop the conversation getting back to love again.

"So, lets gossip. What teacher do you dislike the most?" she directed at Miles

Shaun looked in confusion as a tear rolled down Miles' cheek.
"Hey Miles, what's wrong?" He asked ignoring his lame excuse. He placed his hand on his shoulder, "Since you've accepted my offer, you are magically my ward, family. You can tell me anything, anything at all bothering you. Okay?"He squeezed his shoulder and let go, that's the most he could do when it came to comforting people.
He smiled in appreciation at Briony's suggestion, "Gossip?" He chuckled, "Never put you down for the gossiping type, Briony." he teased lightly.

Briony grinned softly as Shaun said he didn't take her as the gossiping type she shrugged her shoulders and looked through the bottom of her shot glass like it was a telescope.

"I'm not normally out of my face drunk though am I?"

Moving her hand in a circular motion she looked at Miles and Tom with a slight grin.

"Besides I tend to gossip about other, less happy things while in my husbands company, but teachers will do for now, come on give me the low down."

A smiled appreared on Miles's face as Professor Moody, told him he was family, this comforted him " Oh it's nothing really"

Miles then turned towards Professor Romain as she asked for some gossip on teachers " Well there's no teachers I actually dislike, though Professor Rose my Occlumency teacher does have a strange habit of drinking blood from this silver goblet" Miles laughed

though he had always thought it was strange, it was like she was a vampire or something, Miles smiled to himsef thinking about how impossible that would be

His mind in another place Vincent walked into the Leaky Cauldron, and saw straight away the face of Professor Moody, the teacher who caught him and his cohorts in Moaning Myrtles Bathroom, his face glowed red and he tried to avert his eyes but they happen to fall onto the teary face of his friend Miles. They were all at the same table and their was a woman. She was so stunning and he couldn't take his eyes off her as he mindlessly floated toward her... With all his mental power he forced himself to stop focusing on her and went over to their table
"Hello, Professor" nodding politely to Professor Moody "Hey Miles" patting him on the shoulder, "Hello my name is Vincent, may I know your name" bowing slightly to the gorgeous woman.

Briony raised her eyebrow as Miles told her that the professor Rose liked to drink blood, that must be true then, she must be a vampire. Not going to confirm or deny this to Miles however, Briony didn't know if Passion wanted people to know.

"Well then, that...is a very interesting little nugget of information."

Seeing another boy coming over Briony poured another shot of firewhiskey and she chucked it back in one, grimacing as the alcohol hit.

"I'm still winning Shaun."

Much to her surprise the boy who had come over, Vincent, bowed to her and asked her what her name was, this was nice, a bit of respect and she hoped this boy had taken her class.

"Professor Briony Romain, you may call me Briony while I'm not in school."

Miles sensed that perhaps he shouldn't have told Professor Romain about Professor Rose drinking blood. Miles felt a pat on his shoulder, he spun around and saw it was Vincent

" Oh hey Vincent" Miles smiled at his friend, but he couldn't help but notice Vincent was looking intently at Professor Romain No, it couldn't be.. does he actually like her Miles thought to himself

Miles looked over at Professor Moody and raised his eyebrow suggestively refering to Vincent's affections

" a pleasure" sitting at an empty seat Vincent again kindly asked " what class do you teach, briony" grinning and looking over at miles,
" how have you been? Still conquering potions? "
Smiling at the remaining professor he tried his best to look as natural as possible.

Miles thought it was cute that Vincent appeared to be crushing on Professor Romain, I wonder when he's going to realise she's married Miles thought to himself

" Oh yeah i've been good, and of course im still conquering potions, I actually succesfully brewed an ageing potion last week" Miles said smuggly

Miles suddenly rememered his exciting news to tell Vincent "And believe it or not, Professor Moody has taken me in as his apprentice" Miles looked over at Professor Moody and smiled as a sign of his gratitude