Working the bar (Open)

James sighed a little as he slipped into the Three Broomsticks, sliding up to the bar tiredly and ordering two shots of fire-whiskey. One for him and one for the night's sleep he'd lost. He was the groundskeeper of Hogwarts but he was also a squib so he had to work twice as hard as any other groundskeeper would have. It was hard work trying to negotiate with centaurs when they hated you just as much as a magical human but you didn't have the wand and magic that they initially hated humans for. It took a lot of knife work to prove to the centaurs that he meant business.

Sitting down heavily in a corner booth with a bottle of fire-whiskey and two glasses, James sighed and put his head in his hands. After a long day like today he wasn't an avenging member of an anti-magical organization, he wasn't the hogwarts groundskeeper and he wasn't a person with a naturally closed off mind. Of course he couldn't turn off the protections he had on his mind, it was a birth defect both he and his brother had, complete protection from mind control or reading in any form at the price of a headache. But right now he was just a very tired man.

Briony walked into the bar and she smiled, she was back to her normal self, how she used to be before she got soft and she was loving it, she hadn't been this fresh in ages and she owed it all to her husband, and maybe those dead wizards that she killed with him.

Walking up to the bartender she smirked at him before asking in a cold voice:

"Bottle of firewhiskey."

With that she cast an eye around the place to see if there was anyone else here that she could talk to, after all, what was the point in drinking alone it only made you look sad and lonely, however, there was a man that she could go up to but he looked a little worse for wear, wouldn't be the best conversationalist, but she recognised him.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Briony asked cooly, wondering how she knew him and if it was a good reason or not.

James looked up from his position, half collapsed on the table, at the woman who wanted to sit down at the same table. Alarm bells started going off in his head but he managed to keep his face a mask of sleepy blankness. It wasn't hard considering he was shattered,

"Go right ahead..." he raised a tired eyebrow at her, "Mrs Romain."

Pouring a glass of firewhiskey for himself, he stared at it for a few moments,

"You might not even know me... I'm the groundskeeper. James Irvine." he introduced himself before downing the shot of firewhiskey and wincing a little bit, "I've heard a lot about you. People say you're the only professor more strict than your husband."

Briony smirked as the man knew her name, it was then that she knew that he must know her from Hogwarts, after all, everyone who knew her outside of school normally screamed and ran off rather than staying to converse.

"Much appreciated Irvine."

Sitting down at the table she observed his tired manner, and although not really caring, Briony raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Long day?"

With his last statement Briony grinned wolfishly and poured out a tot of firewhiskey, throwing it back without hesitation and sighing happily as the liquid burnt it's way down her throat. Cocking her head to one side Briony shrugged:

"I know you. But you're correct. People don't believe me when I actually say I'll use them for target practice if they're late."