just like old times [john & rob]

[Deleted]

Never one to actually indulge in drinking, it was a little out of the ordinary that Petar Kovachev found himself in Hogsmeade at the Hog's Head. He wasn't exactly a large fan of drinking, but did enjoy a good one every now and then. Tonight, the circumstances for which he was at the pub were different than normal. A student had been killed recently and Petar felt he needed to unwind a little bit, so he had ventured down to the village to enjoy a drink or two. He was by himself, not one to care for the company of others in such situations. He would rather indulge in alcohol alone.

Petar entered the dark pub and slowly made his way over to the bar, ordering a Dragon Barrel Brandy from the bartending witch. The witch brought the large glass over to Petar and he thanked her with a nod. He picked up the glass and took a long gulp. After setting it down, he just stared at the bartop in front of him, lost in thought about the recent murders. A student was killed, as was the minister. A few aurors had also been killed but he hadn't personally recognized any of the names. Back when Petar was in school, there were two Gryffindor boys in his year that found it really amusing to bully Petar and cause trouble around the school. Those two young lads had gone on to become successful aurors. Personally, Petar tried not to think about their names but as he thought about those aurors that had been unfortunately killed, he realized that the names of the two Gryffindor bullies were not one of them.

This was both annoying and relieving to Petar, of course. Petar loathed the two of them. To be honest, he would love to see them hung by their toes and cursed. However, the good person in Kovachev couldn't wish death upon anyone. Especially people who helped others, such as aurors. It amazed him that the two of them went on to be aurors, helping people and what not, because as Petar could recall, they hardly helped anyone in school unless they were pulling some nasty prank or making fun of someone. Petar had not run into them since he had left Hogwarts, luckily. He avoided Hogsmeade enough on weekends, the prime time for Ministry workers to visit. He had no intention of even accidentally running into them. And so far, in the last near six years, he had succeeded.

When the door to the pub opened and the bell dinged, Petar paid no attention. He was too lost in thought about all of this to notice.

@cain
@robhudson

[Deleted]

It had been a very long week, and it was the first that they had off in quite a while. Even though he was off duty he was still ready for anything. Rob had agreed to meet John at the Hogs Head for a drink. Well what would undoubtedly be a couple for him and twenty for John like usual. He hoped that he didn't have to drag him out of the pub like the last time. He might get lucky enough and there would be some sort of distraction there that would ensure that John would not drink as much.

Well when he walked into the Hogs Head Rob looked around as the door closed behind him, he was greeted with the sight of one of the few things or should I say people, that would actually distract even him from drinking the amount he usually did which wasn't much. There sitting at the bar was none other than the one person that John and himself had bullied all throughout school. It was Petar. A lot had changed for Rob since he had become an Auror. He was now helping people instead of bullying them. He kind of regretted what he had done. He had thought about it quite a bit since they had left school. However he wasn't sure if John felt the same way.

Rob noticed that there seemed to be an empty seat next to Petar. Maybe they could become friends at some point later on, but at the moment he was quite frustrated with the Ministry, well the Minister in particular. Knowing that some friendly banter might just work to get rid of the frustration and anger that he felt. Rob walked over to the bar hoping that they wouldn't end up in a duel before John got here. He already hand his wand in his hand just in case Petar got pissed off or something to that extent. He signaled to the bartender to get him just a simple butterbeer, to start off with. 

 He said disdainfully and with a smirk that he knew would piss the man off. "Well, well. Look at what I found the infamous Petar." Rob then took a seat next to the man as he grabbed the bottle that his drink was in and took a swig from it letting the cold liquid run down his throat, which was refreshing. He remembered seeing something in the Daily Prophet about Petar becoming the Potions teacher at Hogwarts. He knew something like that would always happen, but that didn't really stop him from saying. "Or should I now call you, Professor?" It was a simple question, but he was sure that both of his statements were going to be seen as insults or something like that to John and his former Rival. However be for the fun really started he heard the door open and hoped that it was John. He would have glanced at the door but he kept both of his eyes on Petar knowing that if he took his eyes away from him that he might just be staring at the end of a wand the next time he looked at the man. So he kept his eyes focusing on Petar the whole time. Even as he heard whomever had just come in walk over to them.

[Deleted]

It had been a long day of doing nothing. Unfortunately with this new Minister being appointed, John hardly got to get out into the field anymore. He was cooped up in he and his partner's office all day, waiting for something exciting to happen. Not many people had been causing as much trouble as they usually did since the murders started occurring, so that was a downside. It really made John want to find this killer himself, just to have his job back. But he was under Ministry rule, and unfortunately had to abide by their rules.

Tonight was looking to be promising, however, as John and Rob, his best friend since he was eleven, had planned to meet at the Hog's Head for a few drinks. Rob would usually drink only a few, where as John was normally the one needing dragged home by a wand. John near skipped into the pub with excitement and a grin on his face as he could see that Rob was already there. But who was the other bloke?

John stopped just inside the door for a moment, raising an eyebrow. Rob had not turned to greet him, but seemed to be talking to the other wizard instead. Slowly, John began to walk over to them at the bar. He stood behind Rob and then almost instantly he recognized the other wizard. "Merlin's beard, it can't be old Petar?" He said with enthusiasm and a hint of malice.

Petar Kovachev, a Slytherin John had been quite fond of bullying back in his Hogwarts days, was sitting right in front of them. John and Rob had had quite the fun with Petar. Granted, it was usually at Petar's own expense. They had been quite mean to the poor boy back when they were all children, but John didn't feel as bad about it as Rob may have. John simply didn't like Petar. He thought him to be a know-it-all Slytherin and really wanted nothing more to do with him except play harmless pranks on him. John had not seen Petar since they had left Hogwarts, but happened to know he was teaching potions class now.

John took a moment to wave at the bartender. "Fire whiskey, m'lady," John said with a wink at the witch. The witch placed a glass in front of him moments later and then John was back to watching Petar intently with wild and wide, excited eyes, waiting for his reaction.

@petar
@robhudson

[Deleted]

Petar was still lost in his own thoughts when he felt a wizard sit down on the stool next to him. He didn't look up at the man or greet him. He was here to drink alone for a short time, then he had planned to go back up to the castle to work on his lesson plans. No part of him truly felt like socializing. He paid no mind to t he wizard and took another gulp of his brandy, but he nearly spit it out all over the bartop when the wizard next to him spoke.

For a second, Petar thought he had imagined it. The wizard had indeed spoken Petar's name, and it sounded so vaguely familiar... Almost like an older version of... one of his old bullies. The voice spoke again, now referring to Petar as "professor." Petar closed his eyes for a moment as he heard the door behind them ding again, signaling another person entering the bar. He let out a deep breath, as if hoping to make the old Gryffindor go away. Finally, he ruefully opened his eyes and this time not only was there one wizard, but two. By the time he had looked at them, the other wizard recognized him and had a look of both pleasure and disdain on his face. This couldn't be happening.

Petar exhaled once again. He decided it best not to show just how angry and annoyed he was at their sudden appearance and instead put on a very fake smile for the two aurors. "Cain and Hudson," he spoke with a tone that really did give off a hint of annoyance. "My old friends." This, he spoke with an incredible amount of sarcasm and hate. These two Gryffindor Alumni were far from Petar's friends. In fact, they were indeed the two old bullies he had just been thinking about. How very fortunate for them to show their faces the one night Petar happened to be thinking of them. "How very fortunate indeed," Petar thought with a roll of his eyes.

@cain
@robhudson

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Rob could only grin as he saw John show up. This was going to be just like old times, and it was going to be fun. Well he thought so anyways. He chuckled at the way that John had realized who he was sitting next to. But then he heard Petar say "Cain and Hudson,"..."My old friends." Oh this was going to be fun. Rob nodded towards John hoping that he was willing to go along, if what he had said earlier was any indication. "Come now Petar is that really how you greet your old friends?" He had a plan as to how they might get Petar riled up, and it he was going to enjoy every moment of, regardless of how he had felt before when he was thinking about what they had done to him. It was fun to pick on him, it was just to easy some times. 

"Say, John don't you think that Petar should be grateful that we have decided to grace him with our presence?" Rob knew that John would catch on. It would only be a matter of moments before things would get interesting, and he was excited at the prospect of having fun. It had been to long since they had done this, but they hadn't lost their touch since they would banter back and forth all the time, and even prank each other or their other friends every now and again. What was life without a few laughs. It was down right depressing that's what it was. If you had no fun everyone would be miserable.

Rob wanted to go on but decided to wait for John to say something. He took another swig from the bottle that was still in his hand. He finished it off and set the empty bottle on the counter. He turned in his seat to look at Petar whom clearly was annoyed by their presence. But the fun was just starting. He knew things were about to get very interesting between the three of them, and hopefully no one would be caught in the crossfire of anything that might happen. 


@petar
@cain

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This was all just too rich for John. "Come now Petar is that really how you greet your old friends?" John caught the look that Rob had given him and a smirk appeared on John's face. "He's right, buddy," he agreed with Rob, looking back at Petar, who seemed more than agitated. Oh, how John remembered that look well.

John stood up straight, pretending to look like a dignified scholar. "I would say so," John nodded, then looked back at Petar with a smirk. "What'dya say, Petey?" He referred back to Petar's old nickname from school. John had always loved calling him that, as what young man preferred "Petey" over Peter except from their mother?

"So, Kovachev, brewing up any good ickle potions?" John asked Petar, but his harassing tone had not disappeared. It was still there, even if John truly was curious as to Petar's level of knowledge these days. He and Rob may be aurors, but Petar was a professor. That was a pretty respectable job. But this was Petar Kovachev, it was acceptable to still have a little playful fun.

@petar
@robhudson

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Petar picked up his mug and took a long, needed gulp. The good thing about running into these two now was that he had a brandy in front of him. It was bound to make things a little easier for the former Slytherin. "I would say that you two are out of your bloody minds if you think I'm grateful," while it was the truth, Petar kept a fair and forced grin on his face. It was sarcastic, but it was for show. He was a professor. He couldn't go around starting fights at the Hog's Head. If it came down to it, he would let them start it.

Petar looked at John. He had always been the more persistant of the two. They were bth a couple of ruddy blokes but John had always been more keen to jump on a good harassing prank. "Plenty that'll knock you straight on your arse," he mumbled so only they could hear. If they had been good at bullying, Petar had always been good at countering with some sort of witty insult. He was even better at it these days.

"But what about you two? I hear the new minister has got you doing loads," he said, feigning interest. "Must be why you're here tonight, after all," Petar rolled his eyes and took anothing gulp of brandy.

@cain
@robhudson

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Rob could only smirk as John began harassing Petar. It was something that was always fun. "Oh, I don't doubt for a second that they could knock us on or arses. That is if you had brought them with you Petey. But nice try." He said, his smirk growing a little bigger. Since he had become an animagus, by turning into a Siberian Husky, his smell, and hearing had been improved when he was a normal human being. He knew that Petar hadn't brought any potions with him since he was able to smell any kind of potion. And also the fact that there weren't many people who knew he was an animagus, Petar being one of those people. 

"But what about you two? I hear the new minister has got you doing loads," He looked at John and nodded when he heard that. "Oh yeah he has doing loads," He rolled his eyes as he said that a bit sarcastically. "That is if you count sitting in a office all day and doing paperwork. It is rather quite boring to be honest." Rob grinned and then added. "And Petey you know it is never a good thing when we are bored. Just remember all of those times that we were bored and we just so happened to run into you." Rob was beginning to have fun, and to him having a little fun with Petar might just be enough to help him not be as bored as he had been at work. Wait who was he kidding this was going to be great.

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John smirked as Rob spoke to their old friend. John had honestly never been quite good at potions, and he had always known that Petar was much better in school than he was, but he had to admit he would love to see the new Potions Master try to knock he and Rob out.

John rolled his eyes as Petar spoke sarcastically of he and Rob's job. So he had heard about the new minister's incompetence to assign his aurors field work. Great. Exactly how far had this piece of information reached? This was probably why the killer was succeeded in so many fallen victims; because word spread fast in the wizarding world, and if word got out that the aurors were sitting at their desks doing paperwork instead of going out and stopping people like the murderer, well, that would be enough for a sick person to think they could get away with killing children.

The old Gryffindor looked at his friend, and then glanced quickly at Petar. He gave Rob a look as if to say, "follow my lead" and then took a drink. Setting his glass down, he let out a sigh. This was going to be fun. "Think I'm going to head to the loo fairly quickly, chaps," he said, raising his eyebrows at Rob as he turned to head in the direction of the restroom.

When he reached a pillar, he dodged behind it to hide. John peaked out from behind it, drawing his wand. A little harmless fun wouldn't be too bad. He pointed his wand at Petar's glass of brandy and muttered, "Wingardium leviosa," and the glass began to rise.

@petar
@robhudson

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Petar stifled a fake laugh at Robert. "Oh, I'm sure I could whip something up," he said. While Petar's voice wasn't at all threatening, he meant it. He was positive he could brew up some potion just to knock Hudson and Cain right out just with the things that were in this pub, but Petar was a man of honor. He would not instigate their childish behavior.

Fun times. Right. The only time Petar had fun in school was when he was far, far away from the likes of Gryfindor bullies. Usually in his common room or the library, in a corner. Places he knew they would never willingly go just to start something with Petar. He just rolled his eyes at Hudson. It all sounded like empty promises.

When Cain got up, Petar failed to listen to where he was going, he took a large gulp of his brandy. He set the glass back down and leaned his elbows on the bartop, wishing these two would just go away. Then his glass started slowly rising up, levitating. Almost immediately and without any sort of harsh reaction, Petar seized the glass and slammed it back down on the bartop, splashing brandy out of the glass. He recognized this old trick. "Nice try, you old fool," he called over his shoulder. Cain obviously must have been hiding somewhere that Petar was just too lazy to turn around and look for. "You won't get a rise out of me that easily." And with that, Petar finished off his brandy.

@cain
@robhudson

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"Think I'm going to head to the loo fairly quickly, chaps," Rob could only grin a little as his friend walked towards the bathroom. He had already seen the look that John had given him. It was a simple follow my lead type look. He understood what was going to happen. He let out a soft chuckle as he watch Petar's glass rise a little bit before it had been slammed down by Petar himself. "Come now Petey, what did that poor glass ever do to you?" He asked as he silently cast wingaurdium leviosa on the stool that Petar was sitting on. He didn't cause it to go to high so as not to draw attention. He knew that Petar didn't like flying or heights, well mostly flying. He wasn't sure what the reason was but that didn't matter to him. He even quickly changed the color of Petar's hair to bright neon orange.

Rob had done all of this as Petar had looked over his shoulder to call out to John saying something about a nice try. But Rob knew better it was all a diversion so he could have some fun as well. it really was a simple prank but well worth it. He had to hold back the laughter that had sprung up inside of him. This brought back many memories for Rob. A few of their simple pranks on Petar during school had started out much the same way, one would create a diversion of sorts and then the other would go ahead and start the real prank. This was only the beginning tonight. Rob really wanted to see how long it would be before Petar noticed that his hair was a bright neon orange and that he was floating off the ground.


@cain
@petar

[Deleted]

Just as the old Gryffindor had thought his plan was soiled completely, he noticed his friend had managed to sneakily and silently cast the same charm on Petar's stool. John made an effort not to let this realization register on his face. John rejoined the two men, feigning disappointment. "Ah, you did catch me that time, Petar," he returned to where he had stood and gave Petar a pat on the back just as Rob turned Petar's hair neon orange. Immediately John had to try very hard not to burst out into laughter.

John glanced at Rob, having flashbacks to when their pranks would start out in the very same fashion back in their Hogwarts days. While it would start out harmless, Petar would more than likely get very angry with them, and not that he was no longer under the rule of "no fighting on school property" there was no telling how the new Potions Master would react. While John figured it would be harsh and rash, he was still anxious and even excited to see the man's reaction to his floating and his orange hair.

@petar
@robhudson

[Deleted]

Petar shook his head at the bar top. "Wouldn't you think the more proper question is 'what John did to me?' Honestly will you two blokes ever grow up?" Petar had grown tired of John and Rob's "jokes" years ago. He had matured and moved on, hardly ever thinking about them. Why couldn't they? In fact, it seemed that Petar had not once thought about them since school, and then the one night he did, they show up. It was just his luck.

Petar exhaled out of frustration. Then he felt a pat on his back, he turned his head slightly to glare at the hand that had patted on his back, no doubt sarcastically. But... something caught his attention when he turned his hair. A strand of... orange hair? Petar shook his head, ruffling it a bit so a few strands fell down onto his face. Orange hair. It was then, after ruffling his hair and moving around in his stool, that he realized something else as well. Unfortunately, it was too late for Petar to truly react as his moving around caused the stool to topple over as Petar fell backwards off of it and onto the bar floor.

All Petar could do in his anger was stare angrily up at the two of the pranksters, his teeth gritted in a growl. Things were about to get ugly.

@cain
@robhudson

[Deleted]

"Wouldn't you think the more proper question is 'what John did to me?' Honestly will you two blokes ever grow up?" Rob smirked as he listened to Petar counter his question with a question. Oh that was real original. Ha! Not. “Ah but we have grown up, Petar. Trust me when I say that we have seen our fair share of things that no one should have to ever see. It come with being an Auror." Rob paused for a moment. "But every now and then you have to have some fun, like we are right now.” Rob said as he gestured at them with his hand. It really was quite amusing to get Petar riled up. What happened next he couldn’t help but laugh as John came over and gave Petar a pat on the back.

He couldn’t hold it in any longer as Petar finally noticed that his hair was orange, and began to move around on the stool to only tumble backwards along with the stool. Both landed on the floor. Rob gave a nod towards John. “John, you wouldn’t mind helping our dear friend up would you?” Rob said as he turned Petar’s hair back to normal and set the stool up straight. He really wondered just what John would do now, but still it was kind of amusing to see Petar on the floor of the Hog’s Head. The last time they were met with a sight like this was when, Rob and John had pranked all of Slytherin house so that their hairs were all different colors, and they all ended up being tipped onto the floor as they moved around on the floating benches, that just so happened to turn invisible as well. It was quite the site to behold, and they hadn’t gotten in trouble for it since no one could prove that it was them.

@cain
@petar

[Deleted]

It was quite a sight to see. Every moment leading up to the initial fall out had left John's mind completely at the sight of Petar realizing he had orange hair and immediately toppling to the floor and falling off of his stool. John's cheeks puffed out as he tried very hard to not burst completely out into laughter. Instead, just a bit of a low chuckle escaped his mouth. "Goodness, Kovachev, do be careful," he glanced at Rob just in time to see his partner in crime nod to him.

“John, you wouldn’t mind helping our dear friend up would you?” Rob asked as he quickly turned Petar's hair back to its regular dark brown. "Certainly," John said, bending down to lift Petar up by his shoulders. He then brushed the Potions Master off with his hands, condecendingly. "Oh, Petey, always getting dirty when he plays with his friends," he said in the tone of an old woman. The fact that Petar's parents had been supporters of Voldemort was something John had often made fun of Petar for. However, considering the wake of all that had gone on recently, John decided not to say anything about the Kovachev family history. Especially in the Hog's Head.

@petar
@robhudson