Festival of St. Patrick's Day

[marloww]

Tucked back behind Diagon Alley, in a cleared out space near Knockturn, an odd assortment of carnival workers set to putting together the annual St. Patrick's Day Festival. Due to open at 11 o'clock Monday morning, the crew was cutting it close, barely putting on the finishing touches before the gates opened (to which very eager young children-

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[scilicette]

KARAOKE KICK-OFF [MONDAY]As much as Hannah would have preferred a nice, normal Monday evening at the Leaky Cauldron, filled with the typical sullied regulars and usually quiet atmosphere, she knew with the start of the St. Patrick's Day holiday and the festival, she had to pounce on the opportunity. The Karaoke event had been Susan's idea, a random one tossed out to start the festival off right. She hadn't exactly been intrigued by the idea, the concept of singing in front of a bunch of strangers completely out of Hannah's comfort zone. But, from what her friends had said, and the bartenders had noted- it would be an insanely profitable night

[draco_isgod]

Draco's skin squirmed as his eyes danced around the Leaky Cauldron, Sticky Cauldron is more like it. He had never been a fan of the dump, or of the old bar keep, Tom. The fact that his former classmate, Halley something or other, came to own the establishment did not make it any more impressive in his eyes.

After obtaining his usual dry martini, Draco found an empty table near the wall that had a decent view of the karaoke stage. He leaned back in his chair, grinning to himself as some hag started belting Celestina Warbeck classic.

This was going to be good.

[daphne_x]

It was by some miracle that Daphne had found a break in her usually hectic schedule and was able to take the afternoon off to enjoy the festival. It may have had something to do with the actual festival herself, even her upscale clients preferring to play hooky from their usual responsibilities and kick off the spring weather with some old fashion, very wholesome fun.

The Leaky Cauldron wasn't exactly her usual hang out. Actually, stepped away from the bar she couldn't even remember the last time she'd been here at all.

Maybe just once as a teenager to see how the other half lived.

It didn't take her very long to spot Draco in the crowd, almost as shocked to see him as she was to be there herself, but he stood out amount the usual crowd with that amused smirk on his face and she couldn't help but wander over to join him.

"Darling, please don't tell me you've become a regular here," she teased, taking up the seat next to him.

[draco_isgod]

Draco was slightly startled at Daphne Greengrass' sudden appearance.

"Hardly," he managed to say once he got over his initial shock. To be fair, it wasn't exactly his idea. Dorney had been shoving him this place and that place for over a month now. He just had to grin and bear it.

"And what might you be doing here, then?" Both of them seemed to stick out of the crowd like sore thumbs.

[daphne_x]

"I thought it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about," she told him, fanning out her thick, dark brown waves.

This wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, maybe hoping to get a better grasp for this sort of scene now that she was dating Cormac. She was grateful that their tastes were so similar but she had a feeling ran with the type of crowd that this bar attracted.

"I must say though, I still don't understand the appeal."

[draco_isgod]

The old witch, or maybe a real hag- Draco could hardly tell, finished her song, the room broke out into applause. He crossed his arms instead and turned his attention to Daphne.

His eyes caught sight of the way her neck met her shoulders, which was a very peculiar thing for Draco. Thinking about Daphne in any sort of sexual context was so far in the past, what with her being Cecilia's best friend, and basically being married to Boot. It must be due to his latest run in with her sister.

He nearly asked about her little Astoria when he noticed her hand-

Draco knew that Daphne had been through quite the ordeal lately, but so had he. Neither had come running to each other's aid, but that didn't make them any less curious about each other's lives.

"Your hand is looking a little bare," he said about as concerned as he possibly could be. "Trouble in paradise? I can have him maimed if you'd like."

[daphne_x]

Daphne's relationship with had always been interesting, not as close as they once were considering her fall out with her parents and most of the pureblood society. But that didn't stop the two of them from catching up from time to time, making sure to keep track of each other through the years.

A part of Daphne liked to think that the two of them still genuinely cared for each other, their shared past not yet forgotten.

"As much as the gesture is appreciated, no maiming will be necessary," she told him, grinning.

Daphne was thankful that the magazines been so wrapped up with her kidnapping that they had mostly overlooked the crumble of her relationship.

Though, there had been a fair amount of pictures of her with Cormac.

"I'm the one that chose to leave him. It wasn't- well, it wasn't quite what it was."

[draco_isgod]

Draco had trouble with the whole being in touch with his emotions thing. Perhaps, if he were in a better place, he could be able to admit he cared for Daphne more than just what he would be socially obligated to.

"I see," he took a sip of his glass. He could have sworn his mother was humming about their upcoming wedding not too long ago... "A drink is in order, then," he waved over a girl passing around the specials.

[daphne_x]

A part of Daphne felt like she should jump right into the news that once again she was no longer available, even if Draco's gesture was nothing more than politeness. It was unusual for them to share a drink together, whether the news was good or bad. Alcohol had always been a comfort, especially since it seemed that the news had been negative more often than not in their youth.

Though, she knew that the kindness would cease the moment she shared the news that a former Gryffindor held her affections, whether or not he met the blood and wealth requirements.

"It's a little early to get drunk," she teased, finishing off her own drink to make way for the new.

"Though, it seems we may need it if we're going to endure this torture passing off as entertainment."

[draco_isgod]

"It's a holiday- no such thing as 'too early'," he winked, finishing his own drink quickly to also take some drink that reminded him of Goldschläger. While cinnamon schnapps wasn't exactly his thing, the thought of drinking gold was alluring.

He lightly bumped the rim of his glass on Daphne's, "To you."

Draco's eyes glanced back at the stage, watching two drunk girls falling over each other singing some love song to each other. While he normally wouldn't turn down an opportunity to tear apart others, that would have to wait a moment.

"Now that we both find ourselves single, are you finally going to let me take you out sometime," he asked playfully, placing his glass back on the table.

[daphne_x]

The two girls are stage were very distracting, Daphne watching them carefully and making her rethink the idea of day drinking at all. Though, she knew that she had much more self control than that.

Well, at least when it came to drinking.

She certainly couldn't say the same when it came to Cormac.

"Darling, did you really think someone such as myself would stay single for long?" she asked him, realizing that she couldn't flat out lie to him.

[draco_isgod]

Draco shook his head in slight disbelief, "Merlin, woman. You didn't even give me a chance."

He leaned in closer, just getting a sense of her enchanting perfume, "Let me have it then, who has taken you away from me this time."

[daphne_x]

There had been a time, a completely other life, when Daphne had been swept up in the appeal of Draco Malfoy the way that all the other girls her age were. She remembered being thirteen years old and bragging about getting to kiss him during a late and very drunk round of spin the bottle in the common room.

That girl would have been over the moon to have him took at her this way now, even if she knew it was all just light fun and teasing.

This Daphne Greengrass wouldn't even dare to take up the offer, his past with Cecilia running far too deep and her own heart tied up with somebody else.

"Nobody that you would remember," she told him, a bit of mystery in her voice. Though, all she was doing was stalling.

"He didn't exactly run in our circle-"

[draco_isgod]

Teasing or not, if Daphne would allow him a date wouldn't be completely out of the picture. As dear as Cecilia was to him, she was dating... no, he couldn't even think about it right now.

"So it's somebody I know..." a broad grin slid easily across his face.

Draco's curiosity was through the roof, "but not someone I've seen in quite a while. Obviously, he's from school then."

He leaned back and crossed his arms, not sure where to begin.

[daphne_x]

Daphne couldn't help but laugh, recognizing that little spark behind his eyes as he began to pull the pieces together.

Part of her was surprised that he hadn't been keeping tabs on her all along but she knew that he had his own share of chaos going on in his life to keep up with the gossip rags.

"Yes and I'll even offer you this-" Daphne paused, taking a slow sip of her drink. This was going to be a fun game to play.

"He wasn't in our year. Older in fact."

[draco_isgod]

Draco would argue that instead of share of chaos, he had been given his own slice of hell. Not to mention, he and his mother had been travelling in secret across Europe for the past month looking for a way to remove the hideous tattoos that Lucius had cursed he and Cecilia with.

But that was neither here nor there on his mind at the moment.

"Hmm..." A flood of faces came pouring into his mind, but while it was easy to determine who would NOT be Daphne's type, who would be was another question.

He rattled off a few Slytherins, looking for a good reaction, "Bole, Derrick, Montague, Pucey, Warrington..."

Then he tried a few Ravenclaws, considering her ex, "Carmichael... Bradley?" There couldn't be too many, as Boot's friends weren't likely targets.