♦ I'm a grinner : Open ♦

[Brandon Corbett]

Walking down the busy streets of London, he came across a run-down looking pub. Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron, he was immersed in an old childhood memory from years back. His father often came here to meet some friends, Brandon tagging along on his journeys when he felt like it. As a growing teenager, no boy wanted to go to some boring meeting where the men drank and played cards. What was there to do for a kid like him besides cause trouble? Brandon chuckled to himself while adjusting the collar of his dress shirt and loosening the tie. Taking a seat up at the bar, he looked at the menu available.

He was glad that over the course of the year, all his memories returned. Brandon was one of the lucky few to not go through what many are experiencing nowadays. It's unfortunate that people lost their memories after said accidents and then disappear. He may have been gone, but wasn't lost for long. Also Sarah kept nagging him to no end. Running into Jackie's cousin several months ago also helped him regain his memories.

Seems like his reason for losing his memory was more of a freak accident than intentional. But he was still careful when he went outside his apartment or when he was at the Ministry. Half the workers there had incidents and he wasn't sure if it's coincidence that they all had the same symptoms or just some epidemic.

His finger grazed the laminated surface of the menu before him, picking something to start the day off. Since coffee wasn't available at the Leaky Cauldron, he decided to go with a cup of tea. After ordering his drink, Brandon reached for the abandoned newspaper next to him and began reading the front page. Nothing but the usual happenings around here, so he skipped forward to the sports section and read the upcoming quidditch matches.

[Rainne Fall]

Rainne detested Muggle London. It was covered in grime, stank of rotting billywigs, and was full of people who found her coloring distinctly disconcerting. It was an experience to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately the Ministry couldn't care much less about her eye-catching appearance or distaste, and found inappropriate glee in sending her to the seventh ring of hell - Muggle London.

The visit should have been pushed to the Muggle Liaison office, but the sensitive nature of the "mission" - a term used very loosely in the DoM, she had come to find - it had been pawned off on her. The man had been socially rancid, and the thought of ever seeing him again brought a wave of nausea over Rainne as she strode determinedly toward the Cauldron. Her skin felt as though the grease in the man's hair had been stuffed into every pore, and as the old pub came into view she let out a sigh of relief. A strong scouring charm to her flesh would at least give her the peace of mind, if not the coveted feeling of actually being clean.

She pushed the heavy door open and whipped her wand from the hidden holster at her side. Another thing about bloody Muggles, she thought as she felt the scrubbing magical bubbles cleanse her arms, no room for a bloody wand. She needed a drink. The department could wait.

As she was leaning on the counter and ordering a Butterbeer, perhaps with a bit more desperation than usual, Rainne glanced down the bar. A face, bent over what appeared to be the Prophet caught her attention. Something about the brow line, the nose, the set of the mouth...

"Brandon!" she called out, a surprised and bemused smile washing away the previous distaste from her expression. She grabbed her drink and made her way down, "Oh, it really is you. It's been a while, considering we live in the same city and have the same acquaintances."

[Brandon Corbett]

With his tea set in front of him, Brandon reached to take a sip, not bothering to add cubes of sugar or cream. Earl grey tasted best alone. It had a zesty and exhilarating fresh citrus aroma that Brandon liked. Also it had a rounded and balanced orange find flavor that matched the tang of Ceylon. He's no tea connoisseur, but to find something to do during his spare time nowadays, he may have been finding hobbies that seem unusual and out of character. Plus it was a reminder of Jackie and how much she loved to drink tea. It made him feel a little closer to her even though she disappeared from him.

The tea had a pleasantly dry finish with a lingering citrus sweetness. It would match well with some scones, but he wasn't looking to make himself comfortable enough to stay any longer. Reading through the sports section, he was interested in the game between Holyhead Harpies and Quiberon Quafflepunchers. He always liked seeing the french in their shockingly bright pink robes because it made them look like pansies. He'd pay to watch them for their horrid fashion sense, but they were also good players. However, he's a huge Harpies fan.

Flipping the next page, he went on reading the continued section about disappearing officials. But luck would have it that a familiar voice caught his attention and he peeped over the paper to see Rainne coming toward his way. He hadn't seen her since...she graduated? Brandon didn't socialize much with his old friends from school, but it happens when everyone had their own plans with life. "It's been a long time Rainne," he smiled while folding his paper and placing it on the bar.

"Well what can I say? Work keeps a man busy from the world and our acquaintances don't have enough gatherings for us to catch up." It was true that their mutual friends didn't have get-togethers. There were no reunions between them all, not even for the old Slytherin Quidditch team. Then again he was afraid that man-eating toasts might appear out of no where and try to gobble him up. It made him wary of toast since then. "How have you been Rainne?"