Astoria pushed her way through the crowd on Charing Cross and slipped into the Leaky Cauldron. She'd spent the day walking around aimlessly, thankful for the anonymity that London provided. There were too many things on her mind although she was focusing on small, unimportant little issues in order to avoid the bigger problems in her life. She'd helped her mother with plate settings, then taken the rest of the day for herself. A perfect distraction. She'd even managed to avoid any talk of work or of men with her mum and for that she was grateful. Overall, it had been a nice, relaxing time and she intended to keep it that way. A nice, quiet drink at the Leaky and then home. It sounded wonderful.
Once inside, Astoria took stock of the room, automatically searching for anyone she knew. She spotted a familiar figure by the bar but hesitated momentarily. Katie had always been friendly to her but that didn't mean they were actually friends. She didn't relish the idea of being that person, the one who pathetically tried to make unwanted small talk at bars. Still, there was an empty seat next to the blond woman and Astoria's feet were beginning to hurt and she really just wanted a damn drink. So she pushed aside her reservations and made her way to the empty seat. She did not bother sitting down until she had signaled the bartender and ordered her drink. It was like breathing a sigh of relief. Once that was done she turned to Katie with a smile. "Hey," Astoria greeted before settling down in her seat.