I think too much, I'm outta touch | vasilia

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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Rhys thought about the approaching full moon, as if on schedule he’d felt himself moodier than usual and he’d fought it as usual since nobody deserved that type of attitude from him at the moment. The only person he’d seen today was Si when he’d gone to pick up his Aware Wolf potion, he wasn’t looking forward to the side effects he still got the day after and the nightmares that hadn’t let up. The previous month at least it hadn’t been as bad, but he could never count on what was going to happen in terms of side effects. She’d managed to modify the formula to avoid Rhys having a similar incident that his sister had, though she was doing fine now he’d been quite worried when he’d heard. He walked into the pub, since it wasn’t the weekend it wasn’t terribly packed but busy enough, which he figured was good for business. In these summer months there wasn’t anything like a cold pint.

He walked up to the bar and sat down near the emptier part of the bar, he saw a few new faces working but he didn’t think too much of it since it had been at least a month since he’d been back here. It hadn’t been on purpose as Rhys would willingly go anywhere, he could get a decent whisky or a pint, just something. There wasn’t anything wrong with a drink now and then he always told himself even if others might have a comment or two for him about it. Still, he wasn’t in a hurry either way and his mind drifted to the springtime when he’d been here, grieving in the familiar way he handled any of his feelings anymore. It had been an incredible night but a not so great morning, but in the end, they kept finding one another. This close to the full moon he knew he would run into her again.

Not a lot of time had passed, but he was brought out of his thoughts when a voice asked him what he wanted and he looked up at saw one of the new faces he’d noticed earlier. She had freckles, flaming red hair and light eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he would assume she was a Weasley, but he’d gone to school with many of them and she didn’t look familiar to him, still she was pretty. ”Whiskey, please.” He spoke simply, maybe after a drink his mood would improve.

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Vasilia had quickly fallen into a routine. Between working the morning shift at her parents' shop. To working nights at the pub. Classes during the day. Trying to interview bartenders when she managed to find applicants or times they'd agree to interview. Unfortunately she hadn't found anyone yet. So, like most nights, she was helping run the bar. It certainly was a lot, but Vas was good at juggling multiple jobs and tasks. She was a bit of a work-a-holic like that. But at least she'd proven to be a competent and knowledgeable owner to the employees of the pub. They'd been apprehensive, having someone so young take over when the original owner retired. But now, after seeing her work for a month? There was little doubt. They knew why she'd taken over. Why her age was just a number. She knew how to run a business and wouldn't hesitate to help with any job.

Vas was still getting to know the regulars. Learning their names, faces, drinks of choice, and stories. Pub ownership was very different from the ice cream parlour, but she'd fallen into step pretty quick. It was natural to her, the service industry. As natural as breathing. Plus, she was good with people. Always had been. Reading them, understanding them. While it had only been a month, she'd already made quite the impression on most the regulars because of that. The way she retained information about them, and honestly seemed to care. It brought them back.

She was working the bar tonight, though periodically going back into the kitchens to help as well. She was up front when a man sat at the bar. He didn't look familiar, so either he hadn't been around while she owned it, or he was new. Either way, Vas would make a good impression. The other bartender moved, as if to serve him, but Vas flashed them a smile and shook her head, silently telling them she had it. She approached the man, flashing a bright smile. "What'll it be?" He looked up at her, as if she'd disturbed him, then asked for a whiskey. She nodded, stepping away to fix his drink. While the other bartenders preferred to use magic to pour, Vas didn't. Most people hadn't asked, and when they did mention it she just smiled and said food and drinks always tasted better when made by hand. "You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders," she commented as she poured him the glass and slid it across the bar to him.

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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Rhys watched as she poured his drink but unlike the other bartenders in this pub or even the other ones in magical London, she didn’t use magic. It wasn’t entirely strange, but he’d only seen it in muggle pubs and bars from traveling, but he didn’t think too much of it either way. As long as he got his whiskey, he didn’t really care. Maybe it was his mood, this was the only way he knew how to settle it. Rhys looked at her again and pondered her question, he didn’t think he looked that stressed or tired—or maybe he did. ”I—um—just got a lot on my mind I guess.” Rhys shrugged, his time home hadn’t been terrible by any means but he was going stir crazy not being able to work as he liked. It had also been quite the hard stop from his previous working schedule the year before. Back to back jobs just to keep his mind off his grief, by the time he he’d stopped he’d gone a bit numb to it, so it didn’t hurt as bad.

She slid a glass to him, ”Thanks.” He took a sip and just having that burn hit the back of his throat already made him feel better. He put the glass back down and looked back at her, ”I got stuck here for this Hag's Fever situation, I’m normally out working.” Rhys spoke, he wasn’t sure why he felt he had to explain his dour mood and for all the time he spent drinking in pubs he can’t remember the last time he’d really conversed with someone that didn’t have some ulterior motive. Again, he was reminded of Maria and how she’d just sat at his table, with drinks ready to go and then drank an entire bottle of bourbon with him. While it had turned out her purpose for being there had been the same as his he didn’t doubt, she also had a motive in finding him. ”I haven’t seen you in here before, you new?” Rhys asked with a genuine curiosity, or maybe it had just been that long of a time since he’d been back here.

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Vasilia offered a empathetic smile as he answered, saying he had a lot on his mind. She'd bee hearing a lot of that, lately. While the quarantine didn't affect the average, everyday, wizard there were plenty of foreigners trapped in the country. Or those that traveled for work, that couldn't. That and the summer itself had made most people a bit stir crazy because they couldn't travel "anywhere fun" for summer vacation. Not that Vas would know. She wasn't much of a vacation type. Hadn't taken one in years. She was putting the bottle of whiskey away when he mentioned being stuck here due to the fever and she smiled again. She'd been right. He was one of those people. Trapped somewhere he didn't want to be. One of the other bartenders called out for a couple mixed drinks and Vas, being close to those bottles, started to pull out the glasses to start them. "Not the first time I've heard that story this summer. Hell, not even the first time I've heard it tonight. Let me guess-" She paused her work, eyeing him with a thoughtful expression. She was ruling out potential professions. Considering his accent, he was local, so his career was probably something she knew. Most the Ministry wouldn't travel outside the countries for work, so that was out. Neither would healers. Hogwarts wasn't outside the quarantine. Quidditch? Maybe played for a foreign team. She'd keep that one at the back of her mind. Couldn't work for any of the shopping district- wait. Gringotts. Curse Breakers usually worked overseas. She filed that one away with Quidditch, though quidditch seemed less likely now. She thought a moment longer, before smiling, and looking away, pulling out the bottles needs to prepare the drinks. "You look like the adventure type. Work for the bank?"

Vasilia poured the right amount into each glass, set the bottle back and reached for the next, when he asked if she was new. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you. I started last month." So he was a regular, just hadn't been in for a while it seemed. She didn't feel like immediately throwing out the whole "I'm the new owner" bit, because.. That just felt like bragging. Plus, she was a simple bartender tonight. Hell, most the patrons didn't even know the place had changed ownership.

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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The current quarantine was more of a precaution, Hag’s Fever was just more contagious than anything and as much as Rhys hadn’t wanted to stay here for that long and get back to work it was preferred over the opposite of being stuck outside of Britain and not be able to see his family. That had been the one advantage, among other ones. She commented that his lament was not an uncommon one these days and he believed it, there were others that were going stir crazy and he’d run into them at the Bank or around London and they would catch up and chat and tell stories of work which only made them miss it more. Still, it had been nice to catch up with his sisters especially since he’d isolated the previous year when their brother had died. Rhys drank more whiskey as she inspected him with her eyes, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Nowadays he found that most people might not know who he was right off the bat unless they were an old school mate. He’d cut his hair shorter than he’d had it when he was younger, so it was less curly and of course a bit of a beard growing in.

As she moved to make more drinks, still without magic he raised his eyebrows at her correct guess. Rhys nodded, he wasn’t sure if Curse Breakers had a ‘look’ to them as they all were so different, but something must have tipped her off. ”Good guess. What gave it away?” Rhys sat up more in his chair from his previous slumped over position. She admitted she was new to this pub and that explained why he hadn’t seen her here before, but it also told him how long it had been since he’d been back. Typically, he went to the Hog’s Head since he was friendly with bartenders there and also some of the school staff nearby but this one was closer to home. ”I only come here once in a while, its close to home.” Rhys looked at his glass for a second, it was odd but not unwelcome. He supposed he had just gotten used to not be such an approachable person. ”You like working here?”

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Ironically, the quarantine hadn't really... affected Vasilia personally. Yes, she worked in the wizarding world. Had wizarding family. Could see and interact with the world. But she personally couldn't use magic. Squibs, thus far, had been immune to Hag's Fever. Though, it had definitely affected her life. Her friends, and family had been affected by it. And it had affected her work.

Vasilia grinned as he answered, confirming her guess. "Look in the eyes. All curse breakers have a wild, longing for adventure gaze." She set the bottle down she'd been pouring and reached for a stirring spoon. "I was practically raised in Diagon Alley. I've been watching everyone, including curse breakers, as long as I can remember. After a while you get pretty good at spotting them." The bank was just down the road from her parents' parlour after all. Of course, she could have been wrong. Quidditch had been a contender, after all. Or he could have been one of those "doesn't look like his job" sorts.

She set the stirring spoon down and picked up two of the drinks. Walking a few steps behind the bar she set them in front of the patrons that had ordered then, then came back for the third. "That's too bad. The bar always needs more friendly faces. You should stop by more often." Was it a bit of a stretch to say "friendly"? Perhaps, but Vas was just a people person. She was nice to a fault and wouldn't comment on his standoffness only moments before past the initial comment she'd made. She took the third drink to the other patrons then returned, using a clean rag to wipe down the part of the bar top she'd fixed the drinks on. "Oh, it's great. I'm a people person, so getting to serve people and talk all day? Can't imagine doing anything different." She tossed the mixing spoon into a sink, to be cleaned. "Want anything? That particular whiskey pairs well with smoked salmon, or apple pie, depending on what you're in the mood for. Happen to have both in the kitchen." Of course she was talking food. Because, she was a bit obsessed with it. She knew what foods to pair alcohol with.

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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She smiled and explained how she had come to her conclusion and he wondered if that was really the expression in his eyes. Out of all his siblings that he had known he was the only one that had gotten their father’s eyes, they tended to darken when he was angry or in a particular mood. Diagon Alley, it had been some time since Rhys had ventured there though it had been one of his favorite things to do before the school year. He still remembered his first time visiting as a boy and being incredibly fascinated with everything. ”I imagine we’re easier to spot now that we’re all going stir crazy here.” Maybe that was part of his mood, that he felt stuck and unable to go as he pleased. ”What had you in Diagon Alley?” Rhys was curious and since they were already talking, there were many shops there and the Leaky Cauldron so he could surmise that it could be a reason that she might have been there so often. ”I used to love going there when I was in school.” He found himself thinking out loud, drinking more of his whiskey.

She was still working and mixing drinks for the patrons sitting and walking up to the bar, but he didn’t mind, it was casual conversation after all. Again, Rhys raised an eyebrow for a moment. Even in his own career field he wasn’t considered the most approachable of the senior Curse Breakers as Renfri seemed—or used to have whatever patience for newer recruits than he ever did. He’d say he spent maybe first of his first year trying to be friendly before he realized it wasn’t helping him at all. ”If there is whiskey, I will be there.” He took another sip as he spoke a bit sarcastically. Rhys found himself shaking his head a bit, the thought of being a ‘people person’ only stressed him out. ”I think that makes us opposites.” He chucked a bit, even if he did try a job that required a lot of people his temper seemed to show faster than ever, he admired people with those skills some.

He paused to think, he never really considered food when he went to drink so the thought hadn’t been on his mind. ”uh—the pie.” Rhys didn’t like being caught off guard, it made him feel awkward but eating something wouldn’t hurt. ”Please.”

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Vasilia chuckled at his comment. Oh, yeah, they definitely looked a bit more desperate for adventure right now. "That too." She couldn't imagine being told she couldn't do her job. Being a work-a-holic, she'd go stir crazy too if she suddenly couldn't do it. Though, sometimes she took on too much. Still, she liked being busy. In addition, the quarantine had been up a few months. That was bound to make even the most patient of curse breakers a bit restless. "My parents own a shop there. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Practically raised in there." The parlour was the only magical ice cream shop around, so it had quite the reputation. There was no way a local wouldn't know the name. If you grew up in England as a witch or wizard, you knew the place, plain and simple. She held out her hand, to shake his own, if he was interested. "Vasilia Fortescue, at your service."

See, running a pub, at times, was quite predictable. You had people that had something they wanted to forget. Then you had people that wanted to have a good time. Sometimes people could be both at once. Though, with his drinking alone at the bar top? She was pretty sure this stranger fell into the first category. Plus, he had that somber, sullen vibe about him. "Always plenty of whiskey at a pub." She didn't doubt that they were pretty opposites in being "people persons", as he pointed out. Vasilia just smiled. "Nothing wrong with that. There's all sorts around here. That's the great thing about pubs. You never know what you'll find."

Vasilia nodded as he accepted the offer, agreeing to try the pie. She stepped away from the bar to head into the back. She returned a minute later, a plate in hand with a slice of the pie in question, which she set down in front of him. She wouldn't admit it (unless he asked), but she was pretty proud of that pie. She'd been experimenting with the recipe for a quite a while, finding the perfect combination of ingredients to pair with different alcohols. She'd redone the entire menu when she took over the pub, to make sure everything would work. Though, after setting it down, one of the bartenders had flagged her attention, with a rather urgent look. "Enjoy, if you need anything else, just let us know. You'll have to excuse me." The bartender in general wasn't behind the bar, and was trying to deal with an increasingly belligerent and drunken patron. He was proving to be quite the handful. Vas stepped away from the bar, motioning for the other bartender to return to man the bar while she handled it. She sat down at the table across from him. Though the conversation would be difficult to hear in the pub, Vas was surprisingly calm. The man, of course, less so. But after a few moments it was almost like she'd talked him off a cliff edge. He got up, and she followed him, putting a head on his shoulder as she called out to the other bar tender. "Can you call the night bus for our friend? He just needs to sleep it off." He nodded, stepping away from the bar to take over for her, helping the patron out the door and she returned to the bar.

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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Rhys eyebrows raised for a second as he had the realization, of course—everybody knew the Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley. It wasn’t somewhere he visited often now that he was older, but he sure had every chance he had gotten to when he was buying school supplies before the term started. He remembered one of the last times he’d been there as he had walked from the Leaky Cauldron where he had been staying at prior to the beginning of his seventh year. A sort of early birthday treat for himself. ”Oh, I know Fortescue’s—I’m sure every Wizard in Britain does.” Rhys commented, so that was the Diagon Alley connection and made sense how she read him so quickly or perhaps she may have even seen him at some point as well near the bank. She extended her hand as she introduced herself, and he shook it in return. ”Rhys Greyback.” Two famous names in the same pub, it wasn’t difficult in this generation. Had Rhys been younger he might have not mentioned his last name, but he’d stopped hesitating after a few years after leaving school. Was it still a sensitive topic for him? Yes, but he’d learned from a friend that it wasn’t all bad.

Well, if she was connected to that famous magical family then certainly his name would ring a bell. Rhys couldn’t quite pinpoint her age but he hadn’t recalled ever seeing her at school so she might have been young enough to fly under his radar at the time. Then again Rhys was sure he missed things simply from being stuck in his own head most of the time. He nodded slightly in agreement, mostly because of his own interesting experiences that seemed to happen in pubs or at least this one. Always something unexpected that may or may not come back to haunt him later on though he’d chosen this path himself. ”That’s true.” Rhys couldn’t say he’d ever had a bad time at a pub, then again, he might have been too drunk to remember as well. With his tolerance, however, these days that took quite a bit. He’d managed to essentially consume an entire bottle of whiskey that one night and remembered mostly everything.

Vasilia left and quickly returned with the pie that had been offered to him. ”Thanks.” He pulled the plate toward him and drank more whiskey before he picked up the spoon and cut a piece of the pointed end of the triangle shape. He had to tell himself not to pause and to continue chewing and try to look normal, but Merlin if that wasn’t the best piece of apple pie he’d ever had. He wasn’t sure if his compliments said anything considering he’d never grown up with hardly any homemade meals as his school friends had and he’d always found joy with the Hogwarts’ feasts. She had been right though. It did work well with the whiskey he had been slowly consuming. Rhys continued to drink his whiskey and eat the pie. Even if he hadn’t come here with food in mind, he was never one to turn it down either. Something about being a werewolf had always led him to have an increased appetite and he was never one to turn down food.

Rhys glanced over as he watched her deal with a rather large and unruly patron. His instinct was to stand up but he watched as she stayed calm the entire time and had managed to calm the man down rather quickly. That was another thing about spending so much time in pubs was that he’d seen his fair share of various bar fights involving patrons or bartenders and whomever was just collateral damage at that point and what had just happened there was…well—magic. His plate was empty, it had been a decent serving of pie but not too large either. He waited until she got close to where he was sitting. ”Has that pie always been here?” Rhys had to confess he’d never tried the food here preferring to drink his weight in something alcoholic. ”Because that was probably the best pie i’ve ever had.” Maybe it was the sugar and the alcohol but it had helped his mood a bit.

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Vasilia smiled. He was right. Pretty much every wizard in Britain knew Fortescue's. It also helped that they had one of the best spots in Diagon Alley, close to the entrance so it was one of the first thing people saw. It was very common for people to stop for a cold treat while doing their school shopping. "I'd be surprised if you didn't know it." Though there were times she met people unfamiliar with her parents' shop, it wasn't common and was always foreigners. Though when he shook her hand and said his own name, it rang familiar too. Greyback. Of course she knew the name. There were just some names people knew. Fortescue for their ice cream. Weasley for their breeding like rabbits. Greyback for the psychotic werewolf. Though, it was peaceful times. No one had heard from that man in years. Also, Vas did know that there were a few Greyback offspring running around. One worked not to far from here, at an apothecary. So, she just smiled brightly and gave him a firm handshake. "Did you know there's an American chocolate that sounds like your name?" Of course that was her only comment. Nothing about him being a "Greyback", or what that meant. Not even that his name was uncommon. Nope, food. Her brain had immediately jumped to food. "You have a few sisters, right? Your sisters used to come in all the time. Um... Jamie and Max, right? I practically watched them grow up." God, it made her feel old sometimes. Seeing people she knew as children now being almost adults. Of course, Felix got the brunt of that. He was still very much a child in her eyes, despite almost being 19.

Vasilia didn't really mind dealing with the drunks. Again, she was good with people. Also, despite having no magical abilities herself, she felt surprisingly safe, even when dealing with drunken wizards. Her employees had become surprisingly protective of her since realizing she was a squib. Because she had to work twice as hard as them. That, and they'd realized pretty quick that if there ever was an incident, Vas was a sitting duck. She stood no chance if something happened. That sort of "helplessness" brought out people's protective natures. But this incident hadn't been one of them.

The other bartender was helping the man out the door, wand in hand to flag down the bus once they were outside, and Vas had stepped behind the bar counter just in time to see the plate with the pie was empty. She smiled. That was a good sign. He'd finished it pretty quick. He spoke first, asking if the pie had always been here, and then adding it had been the best pie he'd ever had. Well, if that wasn't an ego boost. Vasilia loved hearing what people thought of her cooking. "Really? I'm glad you think so! The old owner had something similar on the menu but, and don't tell him I told you, he was a shit baker. So I made a few tweaks to the recipe."

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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Rhys was caught off guard again, that wasn’t the response he was used to at all when he mentioned his name. Sometimes people would make a face, usually one of pity or even comment with a slight ‘oh’ and then it became awkward for a bit and most responses were unspoken but he could read their expressions and their eyes and knew exactly what they were thinking. But this wasn’t any of that, he paused a second before responding. Again, he felt a bit awkward now, but he felt rather calm. ”Really, which one is that?” Rhys had been to the states a few times for work but had only ever brought back Bourbon as he wasn’t very fond of chocolate at all but he asked the question regardless. He nodded when she brought up his sisters, ”Yea, they’re a couple years apart.” He couldn’t help but smile. They were the one consistent good thing in his life and something he was eternally grateful for. ”I have a brother too, Adrian. He’s a year younger than Jamie” Rhys added, Adrian loved his family but would always follow his own path in life.

Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that Jamie was about nineteen now and not that eleven year old Hufflepuff that had run to meet him after the sorting ceremony that year not even blinking to the fact that she had an older half-brother. He had always admired her energy. It was not something he was ever capable of. Even though they were all relatively close he was significantly older than Jamie which made it difficult at times and especially with Adrian. But he remembered the attitude he had at eighteen when he had begun his training and how he quickly had to shift that if he wanted to do well. Rhys glanced and saw the drunk man being calmly led out of the bar and he was still a bit shocked that nobody had needed to get stunned to avoid complete chaos, Rhys had been in a bar fight or two himself but only due to his temper and having been quite inebriated at the time. Though at least he could say he’d never needed to be stunned.

”Oh, that’s your recipe?” So she tended the bar and made the pie. There was always a happy element to homemade food that Rhys felt he had missed out on, he been welcomed into he homes of his half-siblings and perhaps it was also the company and environment but it had been a big shift for him at seventeen to have the option to go somewhere for Christmas instead of staying at the Castle with the few students who stayed behind as well, but he hadn’t actually gone until the following year. ”Well, as long as that is on the menu then I’ll probably be back.” Not that he made a habit of trying the food of the other pubs versus just drinking but he doubted they could top that, he wondered how many other patrons were converted to regulars now with this change.

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Vasilia had personally never traveled to the United States. She hadn't traveled much at all, to be honest. Scotland, Wales, Ireland, yeah. But that was about as far as her traveling had gone. She just didn't have time to travel. Her parents hadn't taken them on vacation really either, growing up. Running a shop was busy enough, but the only time when all the kids were free also happened to be when business was the busiest. But, Vas read a lot about cuisine. She didn't need to travel somewhere to know a bit. Plus, she'd found a few American stores before. When you wanted to try a foreign recipe, you had to have the right ingredients. Hence the need to find American stores. "They're called Reeses peanutbutter cups. It's basically peanut butter surrounded by a layer of chocolate."

The mention of another sibling had Vas pausing, to think. A brother? A thoughtful expressed crossed her face and she tapped her chin, thinking. Then, it hit her. "Oh! Right, the troublemaker. Isn't he always with the youngest Potter girl?" Well... that was one way to remember Adrian, but it wasn't exactly far from the truth. Adrian wasn't exactly the "follow the rules" type. Plus, he always seemed to have too much energy built up. She'd never seen come in with his sisters though, which was probably why she hadn't thought of him.

Vasilia loved to cook. Anything and everything. It was why she'd jumped at the chance to take over the pub when the owner retired. Because while it wasn't a restaurant, it was her dream. "Half mine. I just made some changes to the original." Though she did have her own apple pie recipes, as well. Changing the existing recipe had just been better then trying to introduce one of her own. She grinned as she mentioned coming back for the pie. "Everything on the menu is designed to pair with different types of alcohol. Here, let me show you." She retrieved one of the menus, setting it in front of him. It was short, as most bar menu's were. But each item on the menu listed different drinks that it would pair well with. In some cases, it even broke down the brands. Like in the pies, it listed the brand she'd served Rhys under "apple pie", but different whiskey's were listed under "cherry pie". Obviously, whoever had built this men (Vasilia) had really considered the combination of flavours.

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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Rhys smiled and nodded his head, ah yes that candy. He had completely forgotten about it but he did vaguely remember someone mentioning it once to him a long time ago. ”I’d forgotten about those, I never tried them but I saw them when I was over there.” He commented, there wasn’t a ton of work he could do there plus he didn’t like the crowded cities all that much. In that case he preferred to go to Egypt if he had to choose between one or the other. ”To be honest I can’t say I like chocolate all that much.” It always seemed to be a very unpopular opinion when he brought that up and he couldn’t really understand why. He remembered telling one of his sisters that and they actually seemed offended and maybe he just hadn’t eaten enough of it but regardless he didn’t often search for it if he was craving something sweet.

He nodded again and though of the young, fiery red head. He still remembered the strange mix of fury and panic when Adrian had told him he turned Harry Potter’s daughter into a werewolf, and he was sure that Adrian was going to be hunted down. In the end it all seemed okay and even Rhys had befriended the girl, she was an interesting personality to say the least. ”Inseparable, you mean.” Rhys hadn’t quite believed it when until he had seen it himself though it didn’t bother him and he was glad his brother had somebody in his life and she seemed to genuinely care about him. Rhys looked back at Vasilia, they had similar red hair—it didn’t seem to be a solely Weasley trait anymore. ”But yes, always the troublemaker.” Rhys loved his brother but if there were ever two opposites in a family it was the former Gryffindor and former Slytherin. ”He’s off training dragons somewhere.”

She slid a menu to him, and he skimmed it, she wasn’t kidding when she said that every food item had a pairing of something alcoholic. It was very different than what he was used to, coming to a pub but he was intrigued by it. Rhys wasn’t going to turn down good food especially if it came with a whiskey and if it was anything like that slice of pie, he wouldn’t question the quality either. ”Well, I guess I’ll have to try something different next time.” He commented as he read the short menu, ”Is it all your recipes?”

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

August 7. 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Well THAT piqued Vasilia's interest. Didn't like chocolate? Why? All types? Was it too sweet when milk chocolate or white? Too bitter when dark? Was it the oiliness of American chocolate? Or how rich European chocolate was? Did it carry on to all chocolate based sweets, or was there chocolates he did like? Finally though, after momentarily being lost in thought, she chuckled and shook her head. "I have way to many questions about that, but they'd probably bore you." Being a chef, it was always interesting to talk to people about why they disliked certain foods. "But I feel you on that. I can't stand cilantro, but that's a genetic thing. It's like sticking a bar of soap in my mouth." That didn't stop her from cooking with it of course. She just ground it into dust. She'd learned about it in school. When you crushed cilantro it released the enzymes that made that soapy taste. So, less soapy. Plus, when she cooked for other people she often used cilantro because they didn't share her dislike of the herb.

Someone called for her attention and she moved a few feet down the bar to get their order. She started to fix the ordered drinks, humming as she worked. God, it was crazy to think how old people she knew as kids were getting. "Dragons? Seems fitting, but hopefully he's grown up a little. I don't think they'd be as tolerant to his shenanigans." Wait.. That would make Adrian the same age as Felix. She hated that. Couldn't really wrap her head around the concept of Felix being an adult.

She finished fixing the drinks as he glanced over the menu, handing them over to the patrons with a smile. "Most of them. With a 'Vas flair' on a few classics. Can't make them completely my own when the foundation was already there." She paused, looking to the door as the other bartender stepped in, giving her a nod. Good, he'd gotten the patron on the bus. "This is just the summer menu though. It'll change depending on the season. Got a few stews that go great with beers and whiskey, but it's too hot in summer for those."

[rhys alexander greyback]

had some drinks and said some things to you

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August 7, 2025
vasilia abigail fortescue

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It was similar to the response he usually got when had admitted he wasn’t a fan of chocolate but at least she didn’t seem offended by it, more fascinated than anything. The look in her face reminded him of what he probably looked like when he was researching something new for work or was in a rather interesting tomb that had ben thoroughly checked for curses and traps and therefor they could calmly explore. That curiosity, he saw it in the younger Curse Breakers he helped train who he knew would do well in the field. ”Well, you can ask me another time then.” And then she admitted a food that she didn’t like though it wasn’t what he expected, and he hadn’t really thought of something like that being disliked. Then again, Rhys didn’t really cook, nothing incredibly fancy anyway, so he wasn’t sure the implication really of removing cilantro from dishes. ”Hm, can’t say I’ve heard of that. I’m not one for cooking really.” He admitted, though he didn’t admit how many times his dinner was really a bottle of whiskey instead of actual food.

She continued to work while he drank more of his whiskey, there wasn’t much left in his glass, and he was still wondering if he wanted another one. Normally he might have drank at least 3 whiskeys by now in an effort to distract himself but the distractions—the company tonight had been enough to get him out of his head or maybe it was the pie. He looked back up when she came back, ”He has…some. But he likes it.” Magical creatures had never interested Rhys as they had Adrian and he preferred his books. As the time passed the pub seemed to grow busier and she was busier than before, even though she kept engaging him with their continued conversation. While she handed some drinks to some patrons, he finished off the liquid in his glass.

Rhys nodded, he wondered how this would change in the fall with the weather though her reasoning made sense. ”Well something to look forward to.” He commented, he had the feeling that he wanted to stay but he still had to stop by the Apothecary and pick up his potion from Si and he didn’t want to get there too late. ”Well, I actually have to get going.” Rhys reached into his pocket and pulled out some gold coins, placing them on the counter to cover the drink and pie and some extra and then stood up from his stool. He paused a second, it wasn’t often he left a pub this sober. ”I uh—it was nice meeting you.” He said with a slight smile.