thrill_seeker (thrill_seeker) wrote in an_ill_wind, @ 2009-07-26 22:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | - 1980/07 july, daniel wilkes, rabastan lestrange |
Who: Danny and Rabbit
Where: Started at a pub in Ipswitch called Arbor Point and moves to Rabbit's place
What: Just two blokes getting completely pissed
When: 24 July 1980
Rating: PG13 for Danny's language
Dan rarely visited muggle pubs. He tried to stay clear of such places as they did not make him feel at all welcomed. Or perhaps that was just his paranoia. For some reason, he always felt like they were staring at him, judging him, whispering to each other about him. It took everything within him to not pull up his left sleeve and show them The Mark then tell them who he was and what he stood for. Sitting in such pubs made his skin crawl and his mind race like a mad man. So, as to not reveal himself nor trouble the Death Eaters with his uncontrolled actions, he kept away from such places. It was like an alcoholic knowing that just one drink would drive them over the edge. He was thankful that Rabbit had suggest this place, Arbor Point, in Ipswitch. He had visited the place before; he knew where it was and who went there. As always, he was a few minutes late. He didn't bother checking his watch, knowing full well that he was not on time and simply pushed through the front door and glanced around the bar for Rabbit.
Rabbit, on the other hand, always arrived a little early and greeted the bartender whom he remembered from previous visits to the establishment. On this night, Rabbit found himself remembering the past and as such, he was rather excited to be so close to his ancestral home even if he would never go there unannounced. Settling down in a booth in one of the corners of the joint, Rabbit swirled the sherry in his cup as he waited for Danny to arrive. His friend had a habit of arriving late so Rabbit kicked back and just watched the people mosey around the bar. He had always liked this place a great deal and Rabbit's father had brought some of his friends here one night in the early '70s right after graduation as a present. It was very strange because Rabbit had never been close to his father but that experience gave him hope that his father might actually enjoy spending time with him for him. Alas, it hadn't happened since so Rabbit was left to wonder about the occasion and consider what could have been. Seeing Danny enter the room from the corner of his eye, Rabbit raised his arm and called out over the din, "Oi mate, I've got a table over here for us."
Dan immediately turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice calling to him. He gave Rabbit a curt nod before turning to the bar and ordering a drink for himself. He pulled some money from his pocket and placed it down onto the counter then grabbed his usual, a pint of ale, and made his way over to the table where Rabbit sat. "Oi," he said as he slid into the booth seat across from the other man. "We'd better watch outselves, mate. That Hurtz woman might see us here together and start telling everyone that we're an item," he said with a rather wicked smile, amusing himself at the very idea. "Though, I don't think I'll fight her on that one," he added jokingly then took a sip of his ale.
"Good point mate," Rabbit chuckled quietly. "That woman would have enough to run for the next year if she caught us together. Hell, she'd probably think this is some kind of group therapy session. She would try to give us some pointers about our relationship." He grinned broadly at the crazy thought and took a swig of his sherry and asked, "So how's the life of the dragon keeper going for you these days? I had heard that you traveled to India, was that for business?"
Dan laughed so hard he nearly spit out his drink. "No one would believe it," he said as he looked into his mug then took another swig. For some reason, this ale was the best it had ever tasted. Either he really needed it or maybe this particular batch was just better. "I'm too pretty for you," he teased, grinning from ear to ear. He slouched back in his seat and slowly thumbed the handle of his mug. "It's rough work, as always, but I enjoy every minute of it," he said truthfully. "Yeah, I like to take the jobs that let you travel. It's nice to get away sometimes even though I'm working," he added, shrugging with one shoulder. "I can get away with taking a day or two while I'm out as well."
Rabbit nodded excitedly, "You are completely correct about that. I think we chased enough girls to establish that we would never consider pursuing blokes." Holding his glass aloft and staring through the liquid, Rabbit listened to Danny speak about his job. "That is the only redeeming quality of working at the artifacts shop. Of course, I don't want to be there for the rest of my life. But it looks as though I will be stuck there now for the forseeable future." That is why he needed to work so hard to get back in everyone's good graces among the Death Eaters. "Don't piss off the wrong people, mate. It will fuck you up for quite some tme."
"You could always come work with me," Dan said half serious, half joking. "Handle wayward dragons and all that shit. And scars, women love the scars," he added as he raised his mug in a mock toast then guzzled nearly half of the ale. "I'm the one in charge of dragons, maybe they shouldn't piss me off," he said rather sarcastically. For as long as he knew Rabbit, he never actually understood what it was that he did working at the artifacts shop. Well, he had a vague idea, but it never truly peaked his interest, no offense to his best mate. "I can't imagine it's much fun buying and selling... artifacts. Does it at least pay well?" He asked curiously.
"Sounds like it could be fun," Rabbit pondered for all of two seconds before passing over the idea in his mind. He never had been much of a daring fellow when it came to his job, except for his little trips through France and Germany and that one in Canada when he had been poisoned by some prick whose ashes now sat in some river bed. "Scars eh?" he gave a cocky smile. "Actually women really adore the Lestrange name too. It's one of the perks of being an upper class pureblood. The only ones you cannot just shack up with are the society ladies. Now why is it that those are the only ones that Father would allow me to marry?" Rabbit shook his head in consternation and continued, "Yeah, the pay is pretty good but you might recall that my ultimate goal is to work for the Ministry someday." He was unsure if Danny remembered but he had turned down a fairly good job in the International Magical Office of Law straight out of Hogwarts to do something a bit more fun - go work at Mulciber's. Rabbit could not have dreamed at the time how much he would come to regret that decision in the future.
Dan gave Rabbit a look, sat up straight and shimmied his shoulders at him. "Oh, the Lestrange name," he teased, but it was all in good fun. It didn't take him long to finish off his first ale and immediately waved the barmaid over so that he could order another. "Because anything less would be unacceptable. Your father wants a presentable daughter-in-law who's blood is fit for breeding with his son," he said just before downing the last few drops of his drink. He then slid the mug to the end of the table, waiting for the barmaid to make her way over to them. "As a member of the middleclass pureblooded society, I say to hell with you upperclass bastards," he added with a smile. Actually, Dan did remember Rabbit turning down the job at the Ministry. He remembered because he was thrilled that he may have his bestmate working within the law and this meant he would have someone on the inside who could help him escape the penalities of the law... Should he need it. "You'll get there, mate," he encouraged the man. As soon as the barmaid arrived he ordered another pint then looked to Rabbit and asked, "another?"
Drinking the last bit of his sherry, Rabbit was glad to see Dan motioning for the barmaid's attention. "Yeah, Father has always been so over-the-top on this stuff. I seriously believe he would have married me off if I would not have moved out so soon. Between you and me, I cannot imagine how anyone could live in the same estate as Bellatrix. That was my main reason for getting the hell out of the manor." Grinning, Rabbit shrugged, "I wouldn't mind saying to hell with us upper tiers too. The only positive is the money and the lifestyle, Danny. The rest is just water under the bridge. I, and I would assume you have the same problem, actually have to think hard to find ways to spend our money." When the barmaid arrived, Rabbit ordered a pitcher of buttered rum. He had already decided to get a bit buzzed tonight. No work this weekend and his only scheduled engagement was tomorrow night with Dolph.
"I may not have as much money as you, but I can agree that at times, I try to think of ways to spend my money. Half the time I end up pissing it away on the stupidest shit." Dan glanced around the pub and noticed a group of young women sitting at the end of the bar; one of them was looking in their direction. "For Salazaar's sake," he groaned, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "The end of the bar," he mentioned to Rabbit as the barmaid returned with their drinks. "Oi, doll... Just bring me a pitcher." He picked up his mug and took a large gulp. "She's wasting her time. I just feel like getting drunk tonight," he admitted.