neutral_omens | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Date: December 31, 2000, 9:00 PM
Status: Public
Setting: Bar
Summary: Free Alcohol!

Wensley walked from his kitchen to the entrance to the bar, sign under his arm. No one had planned any sort of Manor event for the evening, so he took it upon himself to give people who hadn't any plans something to do.

Pulling the sign out from under his arm, he propped the doors open and leaned the sign against one. "Open Bar, 9:00 PM- 1:00 AM," it proclaimed in large letters, then underneath, much smaller, "Entertainment Provided". He didn't actually have anyone lined up, but he was sure something entertaining would end up happening.

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With preternatural awareness, Adam arrived just as Wensley finished setting out the sign. Clearly happy to see his friend, he beamed.

"Hey, Wens! What's goin' on?"

Wensley smiled just as wide when he heard Adam's voice. They'd all been so busy over the holidays visiting relatives and such that the Them hadn't had much time together. He'd missed Adam's presence.

"I thought I might set up a place for people to gather, in case they didn't have anywhere to spend the New Year," he explained, gesturing towards his sign.

"What a great idea!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Adam was long past that phase of being jealous when someone else came up with a good idea first. "Thanks for thinkin' of it." With a laugh and a wink, he added, "Do you have any recommendations 'bout what I should drink at your free bar?"

Well, Luna thought that anyone would be mad to pass up the chance of free alcohol in any shape or form. In addition to that, there really hadn't been much news from anybody at all. (In fact, she was getting a tad worried about her father. She hadn't heard from him in over five months.) There were no Quibbler leads to chase, and most of the creatures that she had set out to document had long since hunkered down for the winter. In fact, her days, and especially her evenings, yawned at her like the long dark corridor that had led to the Department of Mysteries. Luna, to put it simply, was bored.

Finding a seat at the counter, Luna said, "Do you make Pineapple Daiquiris?"

"Yeah," Pepper chimed in, coming up behind Adam. She had been planning on going out and seeing what was happening in Tadfield, but this would be better. "What should I drink, and what's the entertainment, Wens?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and an awful smirk. "You gonna get up on the bar and strip for us before the new year's in?"

"I'd watch that," Brian said, grinning. Trotting aimlessly down the hall, he'd spotted the sign and everyone and stopped. He was intrigued. Beer! And entertainment! "Hi Adam, Pep," he added, poking her.

I bet you would, Pepper says silently, trying not to laugh. This was really going to be torture until they figured things out, wasn't it?

At the finger jab, she elbowed him good in the stomach. "Oi, quit poking me, you."

"Aowww, Pep! Abuse!" Brian whined, clutching his stomach. "You're mean." I shall get my revenge! he vowed. Moohahaha.

He turned to Wens and grinned again, a bit sheepishly. "So what've you got lined up for the evening, mate? Besides free alcohol, which, by the way, is truly a brilliant idea."

Blushing furiously at Pepper's suggestion, and Brian's reaction, he turned his attention back to Adam. "Well, I'm not sure, actually," he admitted. "But if we've got the ingredients, I'm sure I can make whatever you want. And as for entertainment..." he gave Brian a little push forward. "He's your man!" Leaning forward, he whispered an urgent "Think of something!" before scampering off to the safety of the bar.

"Wait, wait, what?" Brian squawked, nearly falling over. "Wens!" Why me. . . .

He turned to Adam and Pepper and shrugged helplessly. "Am I entertaining? No, don't answer that." He scratched his chin. "I suppose I could juggle. . . ."

Sirius grinned widely at the sign, and took a seat at the bar. "Free drinks, eh? Thanks, mate!" he told Wensleydale enthusiastically. Then, he glanced at the girl sitting next to him. She was a very familiar looking girl, and not just from having seen her around the manor-- was his memory playing tricks on him, or had she been in the Department of Mysteries that day?

"You're Harry's friend, aren't you?" he said casually, and then added gallantly "Put the lady's daiquiri on my tab, if you don't mind, and I'll have a scotch." He may not have had much money, but he could still afford to buy a round of free drinks.

Adam just laughed, endlessly pleased to have all his friends around him again. 'Entertainment' or not, he expected that the evening would be entertaining.

"Yes, I am," said Luna. "And you're Stubby Boardman, alias Sirius Black. Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Boardman. I grew up rather familiar with your music. My mother was a fan."

"How kind of you, Mr. Boardman," giggled Luna. "My name's Luna, by the way," she said, offering a handshake.

"Are you doing the entertainment for tonight, then?"

Misinterpreting Adam's laugh, Brian wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I'd probably end up concussing people. Probably not the best way to start the new year, eh?"

He ran down his endless list of talents* and had a thought.

"We-ell . . ." he said slowly. "I suppose I could bring my guitar down and entertain the, er, masses with my mad skills. Or something."

________
* About three inches long. In large writing.

"That'd be great," Adam smiled. "I haven't heard you play in ages."

"Aw..." Pepper mock whined, "but I was lookin' forward to havin' you as my own personal court jester, Brian." She pouted her lips pitifully and slouched. "You three never want to do anythin' fun." Not that she didn't want Brian to play. But she figured he knew by now that if he played, she'd listen.

"Never satisfied, are ya, Pep?" Brian sighed dramatically. "How about this. If you can find a jester hat with those dangly bell things on 'em, I'll wear it. All night. 'Til midnight. Right?" He pointed at her. "That is your quest! I'll be right back." He turned and sprinted up the stairs to get his gear, smacking Pepper on the back of the head as he went and giggling to himself.

Pepper listened to the deal skeptically, then looked over at Adam and sighed. "I think he's tryin' to get rid of me, dun't you? Givin' me a quest to look for a hat wot's not there, and - " and then that hand landed on the back of her head and her eyes narrowed into slits, but Brian was already sprinting up the stairs, so she shouted after him. "Oh, you will not bein makin' it to the New Year, you hear me? Coward!" She punched Adam's shoulder in frustration because he was the closest thing to her, and she had to hit something after that.

Brian looked right and then left, then crept down the stairs and snuck behind the bar (which is quite difficult to do when carrying a guitar case and an amplifier). Crouching down behind one of the taps, he poked Wensley on the shoulder and whispered, "Psst! Wens! D'you have entertainment yet, or is it okay if I play a bit?"

"Ow, Pep! What's that for?" Adam protested. "I bet you could so find that hat if you wanted..."

"Sorry," she grumbled irately. "You know what happens if I dun't get the last punch...."

She snorted at that suggestion. "Oh really? Where, exactly would that hat be? In the secret 'costume box' under the bar? Oh, or do you have a court jester that you haven't been tellin' us about?" She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," said Adam rubbing his arm and smiling, "I do."

He shook his head, still grinning. "'Course not. But you know people who can make stuff, dun't you...?"

Ah. She got it now. She grinned too wide and blinked her eyes like an eager little kid. "You could, couldn't you, Adam?" she said too sweetly in a voice that wasn't used to staying up in that octave. "Pleeease?"

"I could, but I ain't gonna. You can try them puppy eyes on someone who'll believe 'em." He laughed. "Dog can do better."

....And she was pouting again. "Well, I'm not a puppy, so it stands ta reason that my puppy eyes wouldn't be very good," she said petulantly. Then she bounced on the balls of her feet and tugged at the edge of Adam's t-shirt. "C'mon, Adam! Don't you wanna see Brian in a jester hat for the rest of the evenin'? I know you do." Let it never be said that she was mature in the face of funny hats.

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