InsaneJournal

It was a beautiful afternoon in June.  The sort of day that saw people strolling outside simply for the sake of enjoying the weather, nowhere in particular to get to.  Families and friends picnicked in Victory Park, enjoying the sight of the recently unveiled statue.  Even harried commuters seemed to have a slight lull in their step, as if their destination was perhaps not as important as usual.  

For her part, Effie Alderton was making a beeline for Knockturn Alley.  The fineness of the day seemed somewhat dimmed as she turned off of the main street in Diagon Alley, as though the seedy reputation of the place applied even to its weather conditions.  She hardly seemed to notice, though.  There was the bright prospect of a drink at the Troll's Head, and with company she expected would be as enjoyable as it had proven to be in the past.  Admittedly, Effie never drank alcohol anymore, but she always managed to find something to drink wherever she went.  That, and it was easier to enjoy watching the fights that always broke out here with her head clear.

She drew up to the entrance of the bar.  A very tall, slender figure was hovering near the door - she was quite pale and was very pointedly sticking to the shade of a half-collapsed awning.  Her eyes wandered over Effie appraisingly, who returned her look before leaning against the building to wait for Aiden.  She dug into her pockets and pulled out a Galleon, flipping it high into the air and slapping it onto the back of her hand to make the time go faster.  The original plan was to keep count of how many times it landed heads or tails, but Effie lost count after the sixth flip.