The Tale of Guinevere

A Glimpse

I was drinking in a bar with some guys I barely knew. CJ was born a little over six months ago, and Olive and Amos urged me to take time for myself, and practically pushed me out the door. After debating to go back inside the house for a few minutes, I turned around and made my way to the boulevard. I ended up in a muggle sports bar of all things. Turning up alone and being a girl, people noticed. And a group of young men had squished me in their booth within minutes. They stared at my almost black eyes for a moment before they started handing out beers. When the hour grew late, the drinks got heavier. Beer, wine, shots, ... I drank with them just so I wouldn't feel anything. Back home I had CJ to keep me busy. Now nothing, and the memories good and bad of Cedric started popping up in my head. The day we met, our fight about the best superhero when we were twelve, our first kiss, the marriage proposal. It all flooded my mind. So, when a memory popped up, a drink was downed. Trying, hoping I wouldn't feel anything. The boy next to me, with black hair that was combed back, light blue eyes like the ocean, leaned closer, his arm resting on the back of the booth. Maybe, once, before, I would've found him attractive.

"Your eyes are sick, mate. Are they contacts?"

"No, just my eyes." I squinted my eyes as I looked at the tv screen in front of us. Some sort of game was on with a weirdly shaped brown ball.

"Sooo, are you seeing someone?" His words slurred. I think his name was Mark. Or was it Matt. I held up my hand, showing of my wedding ring. "You're married?"

"Not anymore." I turned to look at him, my eyesight was getting blurry. But still, I could see the smile that appeared on his face.

"Good to know." He whispered in my ear, the smell of alcohol nearly made me retch. The hand on the back of the booth shifted until it laid on my shoulders. "Very good to know." He said before he leaned in.

I jumped up from the table, nearly knocking my beer with me. "I can't." The other boys in the booth all stared up at me.

"Oh, don't be a tease! You've been eyeing me all night!"

"Yeah, right. What girl doesn't want a drunk sports fanatic to feel her up." I huffed, but my words slurred. I tried to keep steady, but the alcohol messed up my orientation. I began to wobble, until an arm went around my waist, holding up right.

"So, this is your husband?" Matt/Mark smirked as he leaned back. "I thought you weren't married anymore?"

I just flipped him off as a familiar voice whispered to me. "Let's go." He, whoever he was, was guiding me out of the pub. My head was bobbing up and down as my eyes fluttered shut. Then the cold breeze of the sea hit me, and my eyes flew open. I was sitting outside the pub on a bench, looking at the sea, the sounds of the waves mixed with the people who were going out behind me. Then I remembered someone guiding me out. I looked sideways until I spotted him.

"What are you doing here?" I slurred as my head bobbed sideways.

"Getting you away from those creeps, apparently." Harry handed me a little vial. "It will sober you up."

Still confused and not really sure it was really Harry who was standing in front of me, I accepted the bottle and drank it. I closed my eyes as I felt the drowsiness ebb away. Once it felt like the world had stopped spinning, I opened them. Harry was still sitting next to me, on a bench, near the sea, in Australia. I could see he was wearing Auror robes, his training must be going good then. His green eyes were fixed on me with worry.

"Thanks." I muttered and looked back at the dark sea.

"No problem." He said and a silence fell between us. But, to my chagrin, Harry broke the silence. "So, Australia, huh?"