The Hog's Head wasn't exactly the greatest place for a second year Hogwarts student to be. Everything about it was sketchy - the sign hanging off of one nail, the dusty and small windows, and most of all the patrons. Witches - not the normal kind, but ones with warts and wrinkles - hags, and all manner of other unsavory rabble hung around in there. Jesse Benson didn't have a very good explanation for being there. He'd missed the Hogwarts Express and now was being taken to school through Hogsmeade by one of the school's assistant professors. They were going up to school just in time for dinner, so he had a couple hours to kill before he had to pack and so forth. However, this didn't give him a good reason to be in the Hog's Head. He just was. The door creaked ominously after Jesse finally managed to turn the handle. Sunlight illuminated the doorstep for a moment, revealing a dusty room that was otherwise dark. The light revealed dust hanging in the air, and as he took a step into the inn, he inhaled a lot of it in one breath. This provoked a sharp cough, which in turn caused half of the patrons to turn their heads his way. He smiled apologetically and slipped out of the doorway - the darkness was much more hospitable than this place seemed to be. Nevertheless, now that he was here, Jesse supposed he should at least grab a drink before he left. He approached the bar tentatively, but luckily the bartender was a man of few words. When the boy asked for a butterbeer and forked over a Sickle for it, no questions were asked. The innkeeper just ducked under the counter and retrieved one after wordlessly accepting his money. A slight smile of thanks spread over Jesse's face, but he didn't say anything.

He slipped through the crowded center of the room, carefully avoiding brushing arms, chairs, or bags. Jesse was out of his element, and he was taking no chances. What he needed was a booth where he could drink his butterbeer quickly and in peace. The last thing that he wanted to happen was some odd person coming to his table and striking up an awkward conversation. When you didn't know what you were doing, it was better to stay out of the way and not get hurt. Moving down the line, Jesse avoided the glance of anyone happening to look his way. All of the booths were occupied, but he was already all the way on the other side of the room from the door. Jesse took a deep breath and slid into the seat opposite a figure who seemed to be silently sipping butterbeer, just like Jesse. Something about the stranger's face seemed familiar, but the Gryffindor boy thought nothing of it and looked away. He popped the cap and was halfway through a first sip when it hit him. The warm beverage surged back up in his throat as he almost choked on it. "Gavin Forbes?" Jesse half yelled. He hadn't seen Gavin in ages! What was he doing in the Hog's Head? Jesse didn't really know what to think of the Slytherin boy he'd met in the middle of last year. They'd kind of been friends, but he didn't like the manipulative qualities of the boy opposite him. Regardless of this, though, his mouth still hung open. The shock to see Gavin again trumped it all.

  Since it's open, can Natalie join as well?

It was already the start of the new school year, but Natalie felt small, like she was only 9. It had got to do with the documents. Natalie couldn't understand why she got so much money and assets form her parents. She wanted to call the company again and asked what happened, but of course, phones don't work here. Natalie hadn't gone to the wizardry bank, she needed to attend lessons. But now, as she strolled along Hogsmeade, she had the urge to go to Diagon Alley. She couldn't. Natalie sighed as she entered the first pub she saw. Hog's Head. Natalie coughed a little the moment she entered, the air was stale. But she could exit now, it was too embarrassing. Natalie took out a sickle as she placed it on the counter, sliding across it when she paid foe a Butterbeer. The owner didn't even glance at her, he merely slid the bottle back across. Natalie still had the document in her hand, and she looked around to see if there was any empty places. But sadly, there were none. Natalie could only walk along the aisle, looking for someone that looked nice enough to allow her to sit at their table.

As she walked along, the Gryffindor couldn't find anyone nice enough. Everyone one who was there were either huge burly men or fierce women that looked as though they were going to pounce on her if she sat with them. She wanted to leave immediately, but it wasn't nice to drink her butterbeer out in the streets, given her age. Natalie hung her head down low and notice a table with two smaller looking people. They looked like they weren't adults, and they weren't that fierce given their posture. Natalie thought they looked familiar, but nevertheless she was glad that she had a place to sit. Natalie placed the document down on the table and sat down, opening the bottle and sipping the drink a little by a little. She looked opposite the table and found the guy really familiar. Finally she let out a gasp. Gavin Forbes? Natalie turned to her left and stared at the face. Jesse Benson? Natalie couldn't believe the both of them were in here. All she could do was to give a slight smile and she could feel her face reddening as she went back to her butterbeer, the document still on the table, with the "AIA Insurance Company" printed big on it, and easily seen by others.

"And does that include you?" He thought about this for a second and he really didn't know because he had received a letter telling him he shouldn't because the girl he had a crush on was single, and it was only a rumor that she was dating a guy that he thought was pretty distasteful. He was also a bit surprised at this question Gavin wouldn't think that he would be so aggressive with his question. "It used to include me, but now no because I have some very information that tells me otherwise so now I'm more or less happy." He said

When Natalie came to sit she dropped a folder on the table that Gavin was pretty interested because it was insurance and he wondered what it was about, but didn't mention that. He muttered under his breath "Windgardium-leviosa." Twice floating the two empty bottles under the the back of his side of the booth. "Natalie, nice to see you here, but you brought a insurance file with you. Why?" He said not trying to be nosy. So he tried to back away a bit. "Natalie Goh. Fancy seeing you here. Now it's a regular party." Gavin chuckled at this but said nothing.

"It used to include me, but now no because I have some very information that tells me otherwise so now I'm more or less happy." That would be the note. But what would another Slytherin boy have to tell Gavin that could make him so happy or so sad? Jesse frowned. He'd just seen Gavin for the first time in a long time, and already he was presenting new predicaments for the Gryffindor to resolve. Jesse could think of something that would do this for him, but as far as he knew, Gavin hadn't really done anything of the sort. The only time when these feelings had come out was at the Yule Ball. But... Gavin had danced with someone at the Yule Ball, hadn't he. That had been when Eliza was trying to trick Gavin into making a fool of himself, but he kept his cool and asked her to dance. Jesse had thought this had just been something to avert boredom, but was it possible there was something more to their relationship than he'd originally thought? He was pretty sure that Eliza had a thing for Benji, but maybe after what had happened at the party that wasn't true either. That note contained whatever Jesse needed to know on the matter, but he didn't dare ask to see it. Gavin wasn't that dense.

Natalie, who was usually carefree and laughed a lot, didn't even chuckle at his joke. Jesse was beginning to suspect that there was something wrong in both of their lives. Hers would have to do with the insurance papers, and his with the note he'd just received. Of course, Jesse likely wouldn't be privy to any of this information. He wouldn't ask, either. Some questions were just not socially acceptable to ask. Unless he was around good friends, he wouldn't ask any of them. He was on better terms with Natalie now, and he was still unsure about Gavin. Acquaintances, friends, but certainly not good friends. Puzzled, he took a sip of his butterbeer. The warm drink made him feel good, but did nothing to alleviate that odd feeling. Jesse was watching Gavin levitate butterbeer bottles off of his bench when the other boy asked a question of Natalie. Jesse was appalled. He'd learned long ago not to ask anyone about money or religion. All you could do was offend them. "Natalie, nice to see you here, but you brought a insurance file with you. Why?"  Jesse sat, with his mouth open, and waited to hear Natalie's response. He had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

  Okay.. Funn