breath of life

Millie stared at the boy that had left her behind at the front door, and she blew him a kiss goodbye. Well, that was the end of them for the rest of their lives, and the young brunette didn't care one bit. After all, life went on with and without him, and even if he saw her again, he would never take her seriously.

The eleven-year-old strutted to one of the empty stools close to the bar, and as she straddled it she cleanly ordered a jug of Butterbeer.

Acadia strode into the pub with confidence. Her mother was here on business, and Acadia had been forced to tag along. "We can't leave you at home--you may be kidnapped!" Acadia didn't buy that excuse at first. She was eleven years old and plenty able to take care of herself! Acadia stopped arguing when she remembered her father had been held captive by Dark wizards for a decade. Acadia's dad, an Auror, had been captured years before Acadia was born. He was back now, of course, his mission ever more real and intense.

As she took her first steps into the pub, an angry-looking boy shoved past her out the door. Acadia stumbled backwards. "HEY!" She shouted angrily. The boy turned, eyebrows raised and mouth open as if to respond, but then he shook his head and set off again. Obviously she was not worth his time.

Whatever. She had come here to get away from her mother's world of fashion. Acadia's mom was a famous designer of robes. The fashionista lingo with clients could get a little tedious, so Acadia had sneaked out the back door and had entered the bar, just a few steps away.

Acadia spotted some stools open near the bar and sat down next to a girl that looked to be around her age. The girl had been near the door when the boy had nearly knocked her over. Acadia had seen her blow him a farewell kiss.

"Butterbeer, please," Acadia ordered, then turned her attention to the girl. "Did you know that boy back there?" She asked, nodding her head towards the door.

Millie frowned at the girl who had greeted her. "I do," she replied, in her usual condescending manner. She really hated to talk after flings were over, but now she had no choice; she was in a public place, and throwing a possible friend of is so not on her agenda.

Feeling rather rude, the brunette ran a hand through her hair. "Though I suggest you ask me in five years," she added quickly, her tone taking an even haughtier tone, "I probably won't even remember his name."

The jug of Butterbeer landed gracefully on her table, and feeling generous Millie shoved a Galleon at the bartender. Firmly, she declared that she would be paying for both the blonde next to her, and her own tabs for the night. Beside the puzzled look the bartender gave her, he accepted it.

The German-Irish child focused her attention back onto her new companion. "Why do you ask, anyway?" she asked, "do you know him? I'm sorry if you do; he's such a bore."

She yawned to prove her point. "Anyway... I should introduce myself. I'm Millicent, but I go by Millie. Your turn."

"I don't know him but he's a sure idiot, if you ask me. He nearly ran me over! Good thing you got rid of him," Acadia said bad-temperedly, her Irish accent shining through her words. Though Acadia had lived in France now for several years, she had retained the Irish accent of her father, who had lived in Galway nearly all his life.

Acadia felt a sympathetic twinge through her ravaging temper. This girl probably didn't feel much like talking right now, and here she was now buying Acadia's butterbeer! "Thanks," Acadia said sincerely, taking a sip of the frothy drink. Mmm. Butterbeer was about the only drink she could order here of course. No one would serve alcohol to an eleven-year-old, and Acadia was quite satisfied with the sweet stuff.

"My turn, eh? We're playing a game, are we?" Acadia's sense of humor was very sarcastic, and people could take it the wrong way if they didn't know her well. It helped, however, that Acadia was giving Millie a genuine smile now.

"Well, I'm Acadia. Call me whatever you like, really, long as it's decent," Acadia replied, bringing the chilled mug to her lips again. "So um...you go to school anywhere?" Acadia asked tentatively. Ever since finding out her best friend was a Squib, Acadia had become hypersensitive to asking people of their magical heritage.

"He ran you over?" Millie asked, the conversation already boring her to the point where she could auspiciously fall asleep just by resting her chin on her hand. "So, did he run you over with a car, or do you mean, like, did he bump into you? Because that was how I met him in the street: by bumping into him."

"Does Dia sound okay?" Millie asked, trying to sound as cordial as she could, "and isn't Acadia the name of some plant or something?" The German smirked as soon as Dia mentioned school, confidence lacing her voice, "I'm going to be a Durmy next year. Y'know, the hardcore ones."

As the other girl spoke, the brunette let an idea pop into her head. "Hey!" she announced, "may I please play a game where I guess your accent and guess where you come from?" Her eyes sparkled, "I love learning of accents, and pronunciation derivation! I'd like to wager... two Galleons I get it right in three tries."

Leah entered the Golden Thestral, a pub definately wasn't her scene but she figured since she was exploring this whole new wizarding world it surely couldn't hurt, as she entered she looked over where the bar was and pursed her lip she had no idea about any wizarding drinks

She then looked over at two girls talking, she saw they had a jug of something it was a warm golden colour, Leah then walked over to them

"Oh excuse me, im sorry to interupt.... but I was just wondering whats that called?" she asked gesturing to the jug of butterbeer on the table

Acadia, extremely perceptive of others' feelings, noticed Millie losing interest fast. Acadia decided to spice things up with a little more sarcasm, "Yes, he ran me over with his dad's car. Broke all of my toes--that's it though. Who needs 'em?" Acadia smirked through the froth as she took a large swig. Wiping her mouth with an arm, Acadia realized she had already downed half of the drink.

"Dia works, sure," Acadia approved, quite familiar with the nickname. "Durmstrang," Acadia said, a touch of longing in her voice. Durmstrang was her second choice after Hogwarts. Somehow, she had received a letter from neither of them: only Beauxbatons. Better to go to a fancy, high-strung academy than none at all. Still, her heart still lay in Hogwarts. "I'm going to Beauxbatons in the Fall," Acadia mentioned, trying to smile but failing miserably.

"My name doesn't mean flower," Acadia responded, noting the interest starting to creep into Millie's voice. "Alright, go on then. I'll wager five galleons you can't guess right," Acadia offered, placing the coins temptingly on the table.

"'Ey, can I 'ave those?" Cackled an old, drunk wizard passing by. Wordlessly, Acadia gave him the galleons then pulled out five more from her pocket. The old wizard hiccuped, puzzled that the girl had actually given him the money. "Er, thanks, miss," He bumbled appreciatively. "Don't mention it. Really. Don't. Goodbye," Acadia said impatiently, trying to get him to leave. It worked. He lumbered back to his table.

Suddenly, a girl emerged out of nowhere, asking about the butterbeer. She looked a bit clueless to be walking around in a bar, and she was around both of the girls' age. This bar was being overrun by underage witches it seemed. "It's butterbeer. You want one?" Acadia responded, holding up her mug. She'd never heard of a witch not knowing about the popular drink, but perhaps she was muggleborn. There was a first time for everything! Acadia hadn't spent much time around muggles.

Leah gave a confused look at the girl "Butter...beer" she said slowly while slightly nodding her head, Leah wonder if it actually contained any alcohol, or was it just a fun name rather like ginger beer

"Oh... um yes, I wouldn't mind having abit, i'll ask the bartender for a cup" Leah returned shortly with a cup and took a seat at the girls table

She then placed the her cup down and smiled softly at the girl

Gasping, Millie shook her head in a mock fashion. "Oh my God, really?" she blinked, "that boy has never been careful with cars - and oh, he's such a klutz sometimes! And yeah, who needs toes? All they do is obstruct your way into fitting into sexy little square shoes that don't even exist!" She buried her hands in her hands just to show how much of a disaster she thought this was, though really she was glad it was all getting so exciting so quickly.

"Yeah!" Millicent proclaimed proudly, a shimmer of a smile in her eyes, "Durmstrang, for the hardcore whores and bitches of the future. I want to be sorted into Hitrost, like Daddy, but Charles would fuck my reputation in a blink of an eye." She groaned at the thought of such an event occurring. "I do know that Hrabrost is an awesome house, so I don't mind going into it either." She saw the failed smile Dia had on her face, and smirked directly at it.

Millie grinned when she saw the glint of Galleons on the table, but as soon as she saw another face - an old, drunken one - come towards them, her grin turned into a tight scowl. "Get the fuck outta here, mate!" she bellowed, and even though he was already stumbling back she continued to yell at him before turning back to Dia.

"Right," the brunette replied, "I'm wagering that it's Western Europe... or even Northern... and I'm guessing somewhere in the British Isles, by the way you pronounce say your 'o's..."

Another person came towards their table, and the question of what Butterbeer made the German child shudder. A Muggleborn? Those scumbags, dirtying their world. That's what Daddy used to say, she thought, and Daddy was always right about everything.

"Yeah, Butterbeer," snarled the girl, flicking her ponytail towards the girl's face, though it wasn't clear to anyone she was doing so, "well done, you can talk. And contrary to its name, it doesn't contain any beer." She groaned. Damn, she hated socializing.