BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

03

It's incredibly stupid that I agreed to go out with him. Graham had just returned at the end of our conversation and only asked if he had complained about the noise too. I told him yes. I return to cleaning the chairs, and then the carpets, and once check out happens I move on to scrubbing bathtubs and replacing towels.

I told him that I'm free at 7:00. I get off work hours before then, but I want to get home and shower beforehand. I told him about a pub that is along River Ness.

I've only been to Mad Goodbye as part of a pub crawl for Ali's birthday last June. For Amanda's birthday, we went to a brewery, but Ali wanted to see as many pubs and clubs along the river as we possibly could. Mad Goodbye was somewhere in the middle of the night, and we didn't stay there for long because the drinks were more expensive, and it was an older crowd inside.

That's part of the appeal for bringing this guy there. I'd rather not run into anyone who recognizes me, who will report details back to my flatmates. I'm lucky they decided to stay on campus for dinner so that I am able to get ready without either of them asking questions.

All the while that I'm getting ready to go, I try to rationalize my behaviour. Ali and Amanda want me to get out more. Also, having sex wouldn't be so bad. This guy doesn't seem romantically interested in me at all either. He is staying in an inn and clearly isn't from the Highlands, so he'll be gone soon enough. I cannot justify otherwise why I would let someone who is so insulting take me out for a drink. At least, I can't justify it out loud. In my head it all makes sense.

Once I'm ready, I head out of my bedroom and to the front door. I pass by Niamh, who offers me a wave without looking up from what she is doing. It might be rude not to acknowledge her, but I think she'd be angrier if I interrupted her notes. So, I throw on a pair of boots and my jacket while I head out.

The wind is brisk, even more so than it was just a few days ago. October is rapidly approaching. It nearly gets to freezing every night, and hopefully, this will do well enough to keep me warm. Inverness feels colder when you are near the water. The wind blows all the chill into you.

I purposefully arrive a few minutes late at Mad Goodbye. He is already sitting down in a booth, his back to me. The door shuts behind me and I begin to pull off my coat, wrapping it in my arms. It's pretty empty, considering that it is a Monday night. Out of the ten tables inside, only three of them have customers. In fact, I'm surprised the place is even open on Mondays.

When I go up to the bar, I stare at the menu. All of the drinks are strange, to go with the décor. It is themed after something called steampunk. The walls have gears on them, the lights are all exposed bulbs with intricate wiring inside, and everything is in shades of brown, gold, and red. The man behind the bar has an almost cartoon mustache and wears pilot goggles on his head.

I order something called the blitzed earl. It's got whisky, early grey tea, and orange bitters. I give him my card to start a tab. Once the bartender has poured me the drink, I walk over to the blonde man.

Draco. A peculiar name.

"This place is strange," he says before I even have a chance to sit down.

I slide into the booth and begin to sip on the drink. It is more bitter than I had anticipated. I don't let my reaction to the taste of it show on my face, keeping my lips and eyebrows from twitching.

"I figured you'd want to see it," I tell him. "It's a tourist attraction, apparently. Not many pubs with this theme."

He is holding his glass tightly. The brown liquid, which I assume is whisky, is barely visible behind his pale, chapped knuckles. His hands seem worn down from the wind, even though the coldest part of fall has yet to come.