The Lion and the Eagle |Neville Longbottom|

03. First Shift

Rosmerta covered the toughest costumers while I got the soft ones. She made sure to explain to them all that I was new and to help me out. Thankfully, most complied. Most of them were guys of course; very few women actually came to the bar to drink. There were the occasional flock or two at tables, never at the bar itself.

The men who I got were all real nice, but at times—and I thought this was because I gave them too much, but they asked for it, and I was to give them what they wanted—at times I thought they gave too much of a tip.

"I would take it," Rosmerta whispered when she saw me bewildered.

"But—but he's probably too drunk to have known..." I whimpered. "I shouldn't take advantage of a drunken man. It feels wrong."

"Ah, an honest girl you are!" Rosmerta said. "Take those tips while you can, because when you move on up, you may not get one at all."

"Do people do that? Not tip? That's...rude."

It seemed there was an endless line. Drink after drink, tip after tip.

"When is my shift done?" I asked as I had a temporary break in my line.

"Eleven," Rosmerta replied as she filled another order. "I want to start you off with some hours but not too many. You'll get some daytime hours later on."

Ten o'clock came, and that's when Rosmerta told me to just turn my back and keep calm.

"Why?" I whispered, not quite sure why she was giving me such orders.

"There's this group of young men who are trouble. They flirt with any girl that has a beating heart," Rosmerta hissed. "They scared my last bartender away. Just clean all these mugs."

I did as I was told, but Rosmerta should have just told me to go home, because I suspected one of the men had caught sight of me.

"I see you found a new bartender," he crooned. His voice was silky but definitely spelled trouble. I didn't bother to turn my back; I pretended to ignore him, but my ears were tuned in.

"Yes, and she's not going anywhere near you," Rosmerta said sternly.

"Ouch, that attitude of yours is scalding. Is that any way to treat customers? Word gets out about that, you'll lose some valued regulars."

"You spew empty threats, Liam."

"You know, every time we come in here, you look like you're about two seconds away from tossing us out. I want to talk to her."

"Just because you've got a lot of money doesn't mean you can go doing whatever you want in my bar. The last helper you chatted up..."

"Ah, yes, I remember Veronica," Liam purred. "She was a cute little thing."

I didn't want my fate to be Veronica's. While I appreciated Rosmerta's protectiveness of me, she must've failed to realize I had suffered far worse things than a stranger's incoming remarks of harassment.

"You made her very uncomfortable," Rosmerta hissed to Liam.

"Oh, he won't make me uncomfortable," I whispered. Rosmerta gasped.

"Ah, she speaks," Liam drawled.

I put the mug down and turned, my hands on my hips. "Yes, I do speak, and unlike Veronica, I'm putting my foot down," I snapped at Liam. He just stared at me, amused at my behavior.