Scars and Bruises

Hiding

ALEX.

More than a year had passed since Alex Watson finished Hogwarts. Autumn was fast approaching and she couldn't fight the thoughts about her classmates, because soon enough young witches and wizards will board the red train to start another magical year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alex didn't wanted to think about her friends that she had left in her past, memories was too painful and unpleasant.

Hiding from almost everyone she knew Alex had found some kind of safe haven in the muggle world. For a while now she worked at muggle pub in a small town near the sea, where looked like no wizard had ever stepped his foot, Alex felt safe there. She liked living there because people knew each other and strangers were rarity, they disappeared pretty fast. But Alex was an exception and locals had welcomed her quite fast and almost nobody now asked her all the annoying questions about her past and why she was here.

It was simple Tuesday evening, no different from the other evenings in the pub – locals were at the pub to discuss day's events, to drink some pint of beer and to watch collectively evening news, which was a sacred thing in this little town.

Alex was arranging some beer glasses when she heard a well-known voice, "Evening!"

She turned and looked at Noah Thompson who stood by the bar, another exception in this little town. Alex had heard that Noah had moved here recently, probably around the same time she had. Alex had no idea what he did for a living, but she knew that he was away a lot. And Noah had chosen this town to rest between his travels and get away from the big city noise and people.

"Hi! I can see that you are back from your travel," Alex said smiling, because she liked to see Noah here in the pub, those evenings were always nice. She couldn't explain why, but Noah reminded her that there still was people and things that can calm you and make you believe that happiness still existed and it wasn't lost forever.

And the fact that Noah was very handsome, twenty something (probably almost thirty) years old, tall and interesting man with light brown hair made everything so much simpler. Noah was one of those typical man who could make a conversation with almost everyone, he often talked to pub's customers or staff, and a couple of times over the past months he had shamelessly flirted with Alex, but that was all that it was between them – a flirt, nothing ever had happened.

Alex smiled because she remembered all the flirting and also because, despite that she knew very little about him, Alex liked him a lot.

"Yeah, it was a crazy ride," Noah said smiling his most charming smile. "The same as usual for me please."

"And what exactly that would be? Because you have two the same as usual's," Alex said trough light laughter.

"If you know that, then I will let you choose for me," he said and took a seat by the bar, pulling closer peanut tray.

Alex stood in front of him; she put her hands on the bar and looked straight in his eyes. Noah had very beautiful eyes – both blue, but the half of the left eye was light brown. He looked a little tired like he didn't had a good night's sleep last night, but he wasn't exhausted. He looked more like he was worried about something, but the different eye color never let Alex fully understand what was happening in his head. Finally, she sighed and smiled.

"Beer, definitely beer," she said and walked away to fill a glass for him. She felt how his eyes followed her movement, but when she turned her head, Noah was already eating some peanuts all his attention was directed at the television.

Alex had suspicions that Noah liked her, but she couldn't figure out why all this time he had just flirted, without asking her out on the date or giving her another hints. While she was pouring beer, Alex couldn't understand if she even wanted to know if Noah liked her, or if it was her imagination that clouded her mind. She shook her head – actually, it didn't mattered.