Things were definitely looking up the next morning. I had a new surge of energy, something that I hadn't had for a long time. My normal routine seemed to fly by with my improved mood. I even made my bed.
Breakfast was upbeat; I helped Mum with food. I noticed my parents' surprised looks. To surprise them even further, I didn't even ask how Mum wanted the dishes done; I did them without magic.
"I think this job really brought some life back in her!" I heard Mum squeak to Dad in the living room while I washed the dishes, the soap water bubbling in the sink. I had to be careful when I submerged my hand; there were knives and forks that could stab me.
"She does seem to be unusually happy this morning," Dad noted.
"I think Rosmerta giving her that job has really made a difference!"
"She hasn't gone yet, Claire."
"I think the idea of having some place to go now has really given her a morale boost."
"I'm concerned about when she goes to work."
"Huh?" Mum's voice lost its happiness. "What do you mean?"
"I'm glad Jenelle got her job, but where she works is what concerns me," Dad repeated. "I know Rosmerta will watch over her, but there will be times where she can't."
"Nonsense. If Jen," that was my nickname my parents rarely used for me, "can handle advanced potions, a little hard work can't stop her."
"Yes, but potions and serving people are two totally different things. Potions don't get angry at you if you get their order wrong or take too long."
"If they realize she's just starting out they'll be kind to her," Mum retorted.
"I hope so, because if any of them give her a hard time, they'll have to answer to me."
"Oh, Kevin, you know better!"
The water trickled down the drain. I cleaned the dishes with a towel rag, still no magic needed. My wand was upstairs, and honestly, I felt like doing everything how a Muggle would, except laundry.
* * *
"Right on time!" Rosmerta crowed when I walked into the Three Broomsticks. "Ready to help?"
"Yup," I said, feeling a little nervous. I had been so ready all day that I hadn't thought about being nervous until I actually got here.
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I'll give you the easier ones. It's best to start out small." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me to put me in my place. People were murmuring, some shouting (they clearly were drinking), and those at the bar chatted quietly.
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.
This boy looked to be a few years ahead of me. His dark brown hair had a ragged look, hazel-green eyes showed mischievousness. He and some of his buddies that were spread out along the bar all wore leather jackets. Perhaps these are the suspicious people Dad warned me about.
"Jenelle, I can handle them—" Rosmerta interrupted, but I held up my hand to stop her.
"No, no," Liam interrupted her, "let the lady speak."
"Are you trying to be polite?" I scowled. "Because all I've heard are snide remarks from your ungrateful mouth."
"Jenelle, please," Rosmerta begged. "Go back to cleaning."
I inhaled, staring at Liam who had a stupid smirk on his face, and obeyed.
While Rosmerta argued and eventually kicked Liam and his group out, I went back to getting others' orders.
"You're safe now," she murmured to me as soon as I saw the last leather jacket exit the Three Broomsticks.
"I could've handled myself," I said lowly to her as I collected my tip and another satisfied man stumbled out the door.
"I know, and I think Liam liked that," she said gravely.
My eyes got a bit big. "Why?"
"Veronica let him push her around and get away with his antics. You wouldn't stand him. He's been given a new challenge."
"Why don't you just ban them? It would make our lives and all the future female bartenders and waitresses lives much easier."
"If I ban them, we lose income." She shrugged.
"You do realize that losing a few patrons won't do much damage. This place is pretty popular," I retorted.
"Finish up. I've got a few more people to usher out."
Snorting, I went back to cleaning the mugs.
Once Rosmerta shoved the last drunk man outside, she wiped down the countertop. The servers were cleaning the tables.
Right on the dot, eleven o'clock came.
"I must say," Rosmerta said as she swung the rag over her shoulder, "for a first timer, you were pretty good."
"Thanks," I replied tiredly.
"You go on home now," she said. "I bet your pockets are full of tips."
"They do feel a tad bit heavy," I joked.
"Savor that feeling. Get going."
"Right. I'll be here tomorrow at eight!"
I left the pub and started walking, observing the late night Hogsmeade. I never expected it to be busy with people roaming the streets. Most places were closed up for the night. No light sprouted from windows. A chilling breeze blew.
As I walked along the road, I got the sense that I was being watched and followed. I stopped, looking around. Nobody was there...that I was aware of. Someone could've been lurking in the cover of the night, keeping themselves hidden.
I didn't feel like this yesterday. Then again, yesterday I had no job, and I didn't become Liam's new prey.
A little cautious now, I continued walking, shifting my eyes left to right.
I should've been looking in front of me—I bumped into something, stumbling back a few steps. Once I was balanced, I found that Liam had been expecting me.
He stood there, eyeing me like a piece of candy. My eyes full of don't-try-me, I backtracked and tried to lose him.
Maybe he wanted to scare me. Job well done. I was frightened.
I made a turn at a space between two abandoned, dusty buildings. On the other end was a street light. I wanted to have enough space when I Disapparated.
Wait a minute...I smacked my forehead. Idiot! Forget your little quirk and let's get home!
With Godric's Hollow now in mind, I waited for the compressed feeling to rise within me. However...no such feeling came. I thought of my house harder. Still, nothing happened.
The horrible thought occurred to me: Liam must've put an Anti-Disapparition Jinx over Hogsmeade. Okay, he was an overachiever now. Whatever word there was that was more extreme than frightened, I was that right now.
Okay, find someone you know you will be safe with. Rosmerta. She's an option. Go back to her.
I whirled around only to freeze.
Two men—one of them had to be Liam—blocked that route. Okay then, I'll take the other way. Whirling the other way, it was the same as the other exit route: blocked by two figures.
It was ironic that I was a Ravenclaw, because at the moment I felt so stupid.
My hand hovered near my wand. Whatever these creeps wanted, they weren't going to get it.
"Well, well, well," Liam purred. From behind the two men who blocked my first exit route, Liam stepped through them, making him the closest to me. "It looks like we've got a lost one."
"For your information, I'm trying to take in the scenery and find a nice place to leave," I retorted. "I can't since I know it was you who put the jinx on this place."
"Very good," Liam crooned. "You are a smart one."
My muscles longed to reach for my wand, my mouth ready to shout the first spell that came to mind. I heard his minions behind me advance.
Screw waiting.
I whipped around, wand at the ready. "Stupefy!" I shouted. Red light rocketed from my wand, hitting one minion straight on. He flew back out of the alleyway. Making a run for it as Liam and his cronies moved in, I sprinted as fast as I could.
"Expelliarmus!" Liam shouted.
My wand rip itself from my grasp. I slid to a halt to hear my wand whoosh in the air, and I heard Liam's hand clasp it. Well, that was all for nothing.
One black shadow took my wand from Liam as he advanced.
Instinctively, I backed up only to hit the un-Stunned man behind me. I froze, and he grabbed my arms. I struggled, kicking at his feet.
When Liam got too close for comfort, I lashed my leg out, connected my knee with his private parts. He howled in pain, and his two backups grabbed me.
A jet of light exploded from behind the two backups. It hit one who went stock-still and fell to the floor like a rock in the bottom of a pool of water. The one in front of me looked around and got nicked in the face. He went down on top of his buddy, and I heard my wand clatter and roll somewhere on the ground in the dark. I hoped nobody stepped on it.
The man behind me, who was still conscious, whirled me around with him as he looked around to find the source of the spells.
"Where are you?!" the man who held me bellowed.
Silence answered him, minus Liam's softening groaning.
"You've got yourself a—a hero," Liam panted, now looking himself. "Did you call for help, love?"
I briefly saw a wand peer from one of the alleyways, and a jet of light sparked from it, nearly hitting Liam. Liam ducked as the spell struck the wall. I heard my wand roll along the ground.
"Let's get out of here!" Liam hissed. He cast a look towards me. "Don't worry, we'll see each other again."
The man released me as the two scrambled towards the opposite end of the alleyway where the spells were coming from. They grabbed their buddy that got supposedly Stunned by my mysterious savior, and the one that I had Stunned, and quickly Disapparated. The jinx is lifted. Now I can get myself out of here!
I still had to find my wand. I got down on my hands and knees, feeling the ground blindly. I felt the one guy's foot and moved past it. The group hadn't had enough time to save all of their members.
I soon found something that felt like my wand.
It seemed that the alleyway got even darker, if that was possible. Slowly, I tilted my head up to see a shadow in front of me.