Deva walked into the Three Broomsticks, feeling very nostalgic. What had it been? Eight years since she last saw it? She sighed and walked up to the bar. The bartender walked over to her. It wasn't the old lady that had been there once upon a time. Now someone completely new and young had taken over. It put a damper mood over the place. It wasn't the same anymore, nothing was the same really.

She ordered a butterbeer, feeling that being drunk was not a good idea today. She sat down in a chair and relaxed back. The times had really changed from that to this. A war with Beauxbatons.. She hadn't really expected that. But she guessed the bloody wand was too important to let it fall in the wrong hands. At least now when everyone was against each other. Deva closed her eyes, tired of war. She had been on the run so much herself. She really didn't like it...

When the door opened, Deva instinctively looked up and her eyes widened. Though the woman had changed a good deal, she could see from the eyes and the way that she moved that Pyxis Wilson had just entered the Three Broomsticks. Deva blinked, and was very glad that she had changed so many things about herself. She knew that Pyxis was working at Hogwarts as well, and figured it would do no damage to wave the woman over. No weird things about two professors talking over a drink.

So, she waved to the woman with a smile, knowing she wouldn't know who she was, but maybe remembering her from the school.

Pyxis was feeling oddly down as of late. She'd recently been appointed Librarian/Potions master at Hogwart's, and though she was excited at the job, wandering the halls brought back painful memories. They were both happy and sad memories, though they all brought feelings of depression. After all, she missed Parker dearly, though she swore that she'd never miss him - only ever be angry at him.

Who was she to blame, after all, he had completely vanished off the face of the earth once school had ended, and she hadn't seen nor kept in contact with him since! She had no idea where he was, or what he was doing, or if he was married or what! She was also mad at herself, for cutting herself off from a guy whom she believed she could've come to love had she not been so hung up on Parker. Now, she was completely alone with no one to talk to.

"Gah." She huffed as she entered The Three Broomsticks and took her normal seat at the bar. The young man who always was there, Kaleb, moved over to her with a wry smile. He greeted her and requested her drink, so she ordered a Gin and Tonic as she always did. It relieved her of worries without getting her easily drunk, and so she appreciated the drink. Just as she took her first sip, a random woman whom she faintly recognised waved her over, and she felt as if she must go over.

She took a seat beside her hesitantly, when it dawned on her that she knew her from Hogwart's. However, the feeling of familiarity was still gnawing at her. "Hello, you work at Hogwart's, right?"

Deva gave a smile to the woman. She wanted to yell 'PYXIS' and hug her, but she couldn't. Not anymore. Things were lost in the fire now. However, Deva noticed that the woman seemed a bit sad.

"Yes, I work at Hogwarts. I'm Head of Gryffindor and the DaDA teacher," she said softly, "My name is Deva. Deva White."

She felt a bit sad when looking at Pyxis, she looked so down.

"Want to take a seat? I still don't know anyone on the staff yet," Deva said with a kind smile, gesturing to a vacant chair.

Pyxis smiled back at the red-head, but it was half-hearted and it quickly slid off her features as if it were a fire being put out. She held back a sigh, and couldn't be bothered trying to look happy.

"Nice to meet you. Im Pyxis, Pyxis Wilson. Im the librarian and the Potions master at Hogwart's." Pyxis introduced herself.

She gladly took a seat beside Deva and sipped from her drink which she'd carried over. Pyxis also hadn't met any of the staff yet, save for Nora, and she didn't have any big plans too.

"Neither have I, i've only met Nora. She's nice, but there's something dangerous about her that kinda freaks me out." Pyxis said with a soft laugh.

Deva noticed how quickly the smile fell off Pyxis' face. She frowned slightly, and made a note to ask her.

"It's nice to meet you Pyxis," Deva said earnestly.

Deva felt a bit sick to her stomach. Though Pyxis and Deva hadn't been the very best of friends during Hogwarts, they had still been talking to each other, and it was so hard to look at someone you knew that you hadn't seen in so long. She smiled though, when Pyxis took the seat.

"Yes, you're quite right. She can be a tad spooky," Deva said with a chuckle.

She then studied Pyxis weary face again. She wondered if something serious was wrong. She felt her frown return to her face.

"Pyxis, forgive me for asking if it is too personal, but is something the matter? You seem a bit ... distraught," she said, feeling that 'sad' would be too personal.

Pyxis sipped from her drink again as Deva commented that it was nice to meet her. Pyxis thought that was a very common phrase, she often said it and so did others. Rather quickly, she'd finished her gin and tonic.

"You too." She responded as she ordered another drink.

There was something about Deva, something very familiar. It was beginning to frustrate her, and she hated being curious and not knowing the answer. However, she didn't want to be rude and ask where she'd seen her before, so she just sipped from her glass.

"Mmm." Pyxis hummed in agreement.

Pyxis sighed at Deva's question. She hadn't gone to Hogwart's, so she couldn't know who was bringing down Pyxis' mood. Or maybe she had gone to Hogwart's, and that was where Pyxis' recognised her from.

"I used to be best friends with a boy named Parker, but after school he and another of my friends vanished off the face of the earth. I really miss him, and I haven't seen nor heard from him in 9 years."

Deva frowned. Parker. That brought back memories of her old friend. She took a deep, hopefully unnoticable breath. She wondered if she could reveal whether or not she had gone to Hogwarts, but at the same time, it wouldn't take long for Pyxis to figure out how old she was and that they had been in the same year, and that there wasn't many with red hair in that year. She almost groaned. She knew she should've dyed her hair blond or something.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I know what it's like to not have contact with your friends," she said heartily.

She hadn't talked to any of her previous friends, and it hurt her that she had lost contact with all of them, but it had to be done. So much for love and all...

"Do you think you'll see him again?" Deva asked, hoping for a 'yes' because Parker had been one of her closest friends back at school, and she wouldn't mind seeing him again, though he wouldn't know her.

Pyxis noticed that Deva took a deep breath when she mentioned Parker’s name, and she presumed that Deva knew of such boy troubles. She dearly hoped so, because everyone else was tired of her constant chatter about how he’d abandoned her.

It was why she had no friends anymore. That, and she’d closed herself off from the world.

“Oh? Who’ve you lost contact with? It’s quite frustrating. I used to have this friend who I wasn’t that close to, but i’d always go to her when I was sad, Haley her name was. I lost contact with her too, and im so lonely now. Is there something about me that people just don’t like?” Pyxis wondered.

Sure, she was a little nuts, switched moods easily, and could go absolutely bonkers on you, but was that really why everyone ditched her? Her face fell and she looked dismayed at this thought.

“How would I know?” Pyxis snapped, but she quickly blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you there. It’s just, I can’t even send him owls anymore. He probably left the country and never told me where he went, just like Haley.” Pyxis sighed.

Deva blinked, and memories of the times when Pyxis would come to her for help flooded her mind. It stung to remember those times, but it also made her happy that Pyxis hadn't forgotten her or anything of the like.

"I lost contact with everyone I went to school with. I had many great friends, two of which I long to find and hug," she said, of course thinking about Pyxis and Parker. "It was my fault, really, but I didn't have much choice," she said softly, looking at the glass in her hand. Maybe something a bit stronger wouldn't hurt?

She finished the butterbeer and ordered a mojito, her favorite. Of course, this wasn't just a little bit stronger, it was a whole lot stronger, but she knew to drink slowly and savour the taste over downing it at once.

Then she looked back at Pyxis. She hated that the girl was so sad and felt like the world hated her. But she couldn't say anything like 'I think you're the greatest' without either sounding like a hypocrite, or someone who knew something.

"So far I find you very nice, and I usually am right when it comes to people," she said softly.

When Pyxis then snapped at her for asking whether she would meet Parker or not, Deva got a bit startled, but she understood why Pyxis would be angry. She also knew of the rampaging anger Pyxis sometimes could let out, but it didn't bother Deva.

"Don't worry about it," Deva said with a wave of her hand, "It's natural to be upset about things like this. If you want to, you can shout and snap all you like at me. I'll stand through it."

She gave Pyxis a kind smile and then took a sip from her mojito as Pyxis finished what she was saying.

"-just like Haley.”

Deva's teeth clenched as a pain hit her in the stomach with no mercy. She wished it had been different, lord how she wished that, but there was no going back. She would never be the same. Not to Pyxis, not to herself.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Pyxis, I really am. If you want to, you can tell me all about how you're feeling and what happened when they left and all. I don't mind. I wouldn't mind helping out," she said solemnly.

Pyxis was sad at this. She wondered how those other people were feeling, and she related them to her own feeling of loss. She'd lost 9 years of her life because of Parker leaving, and the only other person she could think of turning too - Haley - was also gone. It made her want to cry again.

"I think you should... just let them know your alive. A short letter, doesn't have to reveal anything. Just, 'Im alive, miss you, love you, but I had to go' would do." Of course, her tone turned sour. That was all she wanted from Parker, or even Haley. To know they were alive! She missed them both dearly, and a single tear slid down her face. She swiped it away within the blink of an eye.

She finished her latest drink with ease, and she couldn't be bothered caring if she got drunk. She was sad, angry and depressed now, and alcohol always took away the pain for one night. She ordered a shot of scotch and downed this quickly. Ordering a couple more, she downed them each and sighed as the numbing feeling took effect. She never really got drunk, merely tipsy enough to make her cheerful.

Pyxis smiled when Deva said she was nice, but she didn't think much of it. Deva had only known her for a few mere minutes, and she hadn't even seen Pyxis' emotional range yet.

Pyxis laughed at this, her mood lifted. Deva sort of reminded her of Haley.

"You remind me a bit of Haley. Your hair, and the way your willing to let me ramble on to you." Pyxis smiled.

Pyxis examined Deva with a frown now as she saw the way her body stiffened a bit at the mention of Haley. There was definitely something up, and Pyxis would be damned if she didn't find out what.

"I just... I felt lost. I didn't know who I was anymore. Parker had already been pushing me away, so I only had Haley. We became closer, I was even starting to consider her a good friend when they both just vanished! Bam, gone, no more Parker or Haley. It wasn't fair, and I wondered what i'd done."

Deva nodded at Pyxis' words. But she couldn't if she sent a letter now, Pyxis would be suspicious, and if she sent a letter at all, it could be tracked down through the owl. She felt so bad when a tear slid down Pyxis' face and was gone in the next second.

"I wish it was that easy," Deva murmured when Pyxis started shotting some scotch.

She then sighed. "Oh, screw this nice drinking, a shot for me too, please!" she said the last part to the bartender and he came up with one for her.

She downed it quickly, and then took a large sip from her mojito. She didn't want to feel this way. Not tonight. She wanted to be happy tonight, if only now. She never drowned her sorrows in alcohol, but she figured that one time had to be the first.

Deva then smiled. "Did she have red hair too?" she asked obliviously.

Then she sighed. "I'm sure she was a decent person then, for saying that," Deva said, feeling slightly guilty for saying such things.

Truth was that Deva never really knew what Pyxis thought of her back in school, and it felt good to hear that Pyxis had considered her a good friend, and that she wasn't the only one. She ordered another shot and downed it quickly.

"I'm sure they have an explanation, however poor it may be, but no one would abandon a friend like that. Not one with their brains still functioning," Deva said calmly.

She then sighed and smiled softly to Pyxis. "I'm sure you'll see them again," she said solemnly. 'One of which you are looking at right now,' she added in her thoughts.

Pyxis didn't understand why it couldn't be that easy. What was Deva hiding that meant she couldn't afford to even just send an owl to one of her friends? She presumed she must be in some deathly important mission and she couldn't have her friends know about it.

She hoped thats what Haley was all about.

"Oh, right, okay." She mumbled, not really sure how to respond.

Pyxis laughed cheerily. It was always awkward when you were drinking the heavy stuff and the other person wasn't.

"Yay." She grinned.

She downed her last shot, before glancing sideways at Deva.

"Do you want to share a bottle of wine?" She asked.

Pyxis giggled softly. She really hoped they both had a darn good explanation if she ever saw them again, though she would be more angry at Parker than Haley. Haley had still been there for her when she needed her in that last year of school.

Pyxis hoped she would, but Parker would be most un-lucky if she did.

Deva knew that Pyxis would understand should she ever be at liberty to tell the truth. But while Deva hoped that she would once be able to tell, she also prayed that the day would never come. There would be so many questions, there would be so much frustration and nothing would really change. She had become so accostumed to the name 'Deva' that she didn't even think that she would want to change it back.

She had to grin when Pyxis let a 'yay' out and grinned when Deva started with the alcohol herself. She then nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good for that," she said joyously and waved the bartender over.

"A bottle of Rioja. Marques would be most preferred," she said with a smile to him.

She then turned to Pyxis. "Spanish wine. The best there is," she said with a grin.

She then returned to wondering what it would be like if she got to change her life back to the way it was. First of all, she'd be able to visit her parents grave without any worries. Secondly, she could hug Pyxis and Parker as much as she wanted. Thirdly, she would be happy again.

The wine came to them and the bartender filled their glasses. She raised her glass.

"Cheers to friends you want back," she said solemnly.

There was something within Deva's eyes as Pyxis glanced sideways at her. It was confusing, a mixture of swirling, negative emotions that mingled together and formed something un-recognisable. Deva was mysterious, Pyxis had presumed that much. She was definitely hiding something, but Pyxis had figured that out earlier in their conversation.

Pyxis enjoyed the warmth that was beginning to flood through her body from the drinks. She loved to socialise over a drink, it was a great way to get to know someone and bond.

Pyxis grinned at the words Spanish wine. She quite enjoyed the French, and there was always time to try new things. She scanned the racks, not sure which Spanish one to choose. As the bartender returned with Deva's ordered drinks, Pyxis grinned at him.

Pyxis grinned as as the bartender wandered off and returned a moment later. He took of the lid, and filled up both of their glasses. She clinked her glass against Deva's before she raised the glass to her lips and sipped, swallowing and swirling the drink within its glass.

"That, is delicious." She proclaimed with a wide smile.

Deva saw that Pyxis sent her some sideway glances, and wondered if there was something about how she looked now that would remind her of Haley. She hoped not. She had been through so many different permanent spells and even one plastic operation to change how she looked. Her hair was enchanted to be curly, a spell she had to do every morning, but she would always say that it was naturally curled. Her eyes had even gone from a dark blue, to a light green.

Her mind flowed back to the day she became an auror and had finally managed to defeat her greatest enemy. She had left Hogwarts and her friends due to Sally Swandeth, because she was terrified that Swandeth would use them against her. She had cursed that woman for so many years, until she finally managed to snap the woman's neck. Killing Swandeth had been second nature to Deva, and that terrified her, as well as it gave her reason to believe how resolute she had been in her fight against the woman and that she would do anything to protect her family's honor and her friends.

Then she joined the auror's, fighting alongside Harry Potter's grandson. It had been truly amazing to be an auror, and when she felt the flow in her work and with Swandeth out of her life, she figured she could contact her friends again, collecting them to reunite with her somehow. Then that had happened. It changed her life. But she immediately suppressed the memory, not wanting to well up in tears of frustration at the moment.

Deva then felt a grin slip on her lips when Pyxis said that the wine was delicious.

"I'm glad you like it. It would've been bad if I had to drink up that bottle alone tonight. I don't that much of a headache in the morning. Oh, but hey, you're Potions master, or mastress? Eeeh, don't even know if that's a word... So, if I have a headache, you better brew me a hangover potion," she said with important eyes.

She took a sip herself of the wine, and let the taste fill her mouth. She loved Rioja. It was definitely her favorite.

"Are you glad that you're working at Hogwarts again? Or, wait, I presume you have gone to Hogwarts yourself, or am I completely wrong?" she asked curiously.

Pyxis noticed Deva's thoughtful look within her eyes, and she wondered what the woman was thinking about. She knew that she probably wouldn't feel like sharing her thoughts to a pretty much stranger, so she couldn't be bothered asking what was on her mind. She grinned back at Deva as she grinned at her and took another sip from her glass, before skulling it.

The wine was delightful, it made her feel light, fluffy, happy, without a care in the world. She felt as if the world was at its highest point, and she smiled softly.

"Don't worry about that then, besides I wouldn't be displeased if I had to drink this whole bottle myself. And yes, im the potions master. I don't think mastress is a word." She giggled softly, pouring herself another glass and drinking from this glass.

Pyxis pursed her lips.

"Not really, i've run into an old... friend shall we say. And yes, I did go to Hogwart's."

Deva smiled at Pyxis. She really missed being Pyxis' friend, honestly. It was so weird, so absurd, to sit there and talk to her like she didn't know her already. She pushed it away, though, she had to. Otherwise she'd break down crying. And that would not be a very good idea. Not at all.

She grinned. "I bet you wouldn't. And thanks for that. I shall try to remember that 'mastress' isn't a word, "she then said humorously.

She frowned. Why wouldn't Pyxis be happy about working at Hogwarts? She had always loved Hogwarts. She tilted her head to the side, and with healthy interest, in other words, not even half of the curiosity Deva felt was put on her face.

"Oh..." Deva said, now very curious. Was there anyone Pyxis had a falling out with at Hogwarts? She couldn't say. She blinked. It couldn't be...

"Mind if I ask who, so I'll know when I meet the person?" she asked with a softly smile.

Pyxis giggled softly at Deva. It was strange how comfortable she was around Deva, as if she'd known her for a long time, but Pyxis didn't think much of it. She did wonder why she didn't feel comfortable around Parker, but put it down as the fact that her and Parker were just going through a very rough patch after his disappearance and re-appearance.

"Oh yes, ever so upset," Pyxis said sarcastically with a sly wink. "No, actually, seriously I wouldn't want to drink this myself. I don't have any hangover potion left, and brewing whilst your head hurts can be disastrous." Pyxis winced.

Pyxis frowned as Deva inquired who it was. She shrugged and decided that there was no harm in telling her, after all she'd never been to Hogwarts so she wouldn't actually know who Parker was, nor why she would be so upset. Little did Pyxis know she was sitting next to Haley, who knew of her crush on Parker.

"Parker. You met him yet?" She asked sourly.

Deva smiled widely as Pyxis giggled. She'd missed Pyxis laughing. She really looked forward to spending time with her, even though it would be as another person than whom she knew. It was better than nothing. She then laughed herself, as Pyxis talked about the wine.

"Indeed. And wine is the worst hangover you get too. It's annoying really, since it's so good," Deva said with a big smile.

She noticed how Pyxis seemed to hesitate before she said who it was. And it took some amount of strength to keep from smiling widely as she confessed that it was Parker. However, her sour tone also made it easier to remain calm and act serious.

"Actually, I have. He seemed like a nice enough chap, but maybe I'm wrong? He's not bad or anything, is he? Or is it more personal? Or maybe you just don't want to talk about it. Sorry, I keep nagging people for information. Ignore me if you don't want to talk about it," Deva said with a soft smile.