all around me are familiar faces [sydney]

[DIEGO VÁSQUEZ]

---

Boy howdy, he was thirsty. Putting in a full day’s work (three hours) following his grandfather around really tired a lad out. That morning his visit mostly consisted of carrying around boxes of potion products, holding them at just the right height so DANTE 'DOC' RIZZO could easily fish around for whatever he wanted. It wasn’t until much later that Diego realized he’d been played and Doc could have just magicked things around the shop. Oh well. His favorite day-off activity was hanging out with his grandfather anyway, so Diego counted it as a win. Plus, there was something he liked about Knockturn Alley. It was grimy and unfriendly, exactly the opposite of Diego himself, and he stood out like a sore thumb in the place. It was great.

Time spent with his grandfather done, Diego attended to his other free time duties. More specifically, hitting up Honeydukes, where he took special care to get sweets favored by the Wolves. Maybe he could eventually buy himself a starting position with Chocolate Frogs. Probably not. That’s cool. He was just happy to be included and able to offer up treats after practice like a candy god.

He wandered around Hogsmeade for a few hours, taking in the sights and sounds, clutching his prized bag of Honeydukes products. The little village was nostalgic for some of his friends, having grown up spending exciting weekends away from Hogwarts. Diego wanted to understand its charm and explore the spots. People had always mentioned the Three Broomsticks, which he assumed was great, but he’d heard talk of a bar owned by a Quidditch mainstay and opted for that instead. Once inside, he knew he’d made the right choice. Down the Hatch had an immediate warmth that made Diego feel right at home. Not too busy, as it was still the afternoon, but lively enough that he didn’t feel like he was imposing.

Diego slid into a seat at the bar, resting his shopping on the empty stool next to him, and offered the bartender a big grin once he caught her eye. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

---

TAG: SYDNEY HARRISON
NOTES: first thread together in over ten years let's goooo

[SYDNEY HARRISON]

Cause we might as well be blind

If seeing is believing

If God Smokes Cheap Cigars;;; Envy on the Coast

-----------------------------------------------------

Sydney was beginning to think that her life may be a bit cursed.  Not actually but they way things seemed to go for her she couldn't help but to have a bit of doubt.  Anytime something halfway decent happened, life would throw another curveball at her.  Maybe to keep her on her toes, or maybe her family had found some sort of religious voodoo doll to ruin her life.  Regardless, it wasn't anything she could control so she had to just roll with the punches.

The punches this time, was a brilliantly bewitching woman by the name of Poppy.  They had met at an event in the States that Syd had helped bartend, and it had taken a turn she had never expected.  Considering the fact that she was originally kicked out of her house for using the word 'girlfriend' to refer to a female friend, she NEVER would have thought that her lips would ever meet those of another woman.  Yet somehow, someway...they had with Poppy and Sydney found herself extremely confused and unsure of if it was just a one off or maybe there were some deep seeding things coming to the surface.  She hadn't told anyone about it yet, not even Paz.

Today though, today was a work day so she was doing her best to push all of the thoughts and confusions down deep so she could make sure her performance wasn't affected.  There was a decent crowd and she was able to keep herself busy which was always a plus.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a new patron sitting at the bar, and she had to do a double take.

The last thing she expected to see in a wizarding pub in the UK, was a former housemate of hers from the States.  At least, she was about ninety-nine percent sure it was who she thought.  She didn't want to be too presumptuous and make an ass out of herself, so she made her way over to the man.  "So what can I get you darlin" she said with a warm smile.

Tag:DIEGO VÁSQUEZ

[DIEGO VÁSQUEZ]

---

Oh wait. Oh no. She was pretty. Flirting with people at work when they couldn’t get away from him was such a shit move. Instead of openly flirting, like a huge jackass, Diego stared at her with a dumb smile for a couple seconds too long. The pause was probably noticeable. Diego suddenly wished he had his main wingman (his grandfather) to smooth talk for him. Nobody could talk him up like Doc. Nonno, please! Man down!

Diego just pulled himself out of his pathetic staring session when her voice punched him in the face. He glanced around the pub briefly, making sure he was still in the UK. That’s where he was, right? He hadn’t gone home yet, yeah? Something about hearing a familiar southern drawl was disorienting. He didn’t hear that kind of accent much unless he was home, and it immediately put him at ease. But the combination of accent and face was sparking some far away memory, blurred with time. He could almost make out the old Thunderbird common room.

He became acutely aware of the passage of time and forced out, “pint of Guinness, please.” He still had to get home at some point tonight and going straight for the hard stuff might have him face down in a Hogsmeade ditch before 6pm. That was at least midnight talk. Diego tried to watch her nonchalantly as she pulled his pint, without seeming like a creep just ogling a poor lady at work. Once she returned with his drink, Diego gave her a warm “thanks” and took a long sip. “I promise this isn’t a line,” he started, trying to seem as genuine and respectful as possible. He couldn’t even imagine the number of lads who tried to chat up the pretty bartender with similar bullshit. Rude. “Did we go to school together?”

---

TAG: SYDNEY HARRISON
NOTES: first thread together in over ten years let's goooo

[SYDNEY HARRISON]

Cause we might as well be blind

If seeing is believing

If God Smokes Cheap Cigars;;; Envy on the Coast

-----------------------------------------------------

As soon as the gentleman at the bar spoke, Sydney had a good feeling that her intuition was right.  The accent was very familiar, and it was interesting that even on the other side of the world, thousands of miles away in a small little pub, she would run into someone from her past life.  Though, if anyone from back then was going to find their way in front of her it could be ALOT worse than the cute boy talking to her.


He order a Guinness, and she returned his politeness with a smile.  "One Guinness comin right up darlin." she said, turning around to make sure it was as close to a perfect pour as possible.  She set it down in front of him, and couldn't help but to laugh as he INSISTED it wasn't a line he was feeding her.  "Oh I'm sure a looker like you doesn't need to use lines." she said with a soft smile.  She wasn't normally so forward, but when it was a familiar face it made it a bit easier.


"You've got a pretty good memory there.  Diego, right?" she said leaning against the bar.  Of course she knew his name, he may or may not have been someone she had a small tiny crush on back in the day.  He had aged QUITE nicely, so she wasn't at all upset that he was sitting in front of her.  "Sydney, by the way." she said, avoiding the awkward asking phase.  It was a bit of a slower time so she could chat for a few.  "Whats a Quidditch player like you doin over here?" she said curiously.  Maybe he had signed for a team over in the UK or something?

Tag:DIEGO VÁSQUEZ

[DIEGO VÁSQUEZ]

---

The way she added “darlin’” at the end of her sentences made Diego feel right at home. He felt like he should be back in the South ordering sweet tea and a rack of ribs. When she placed the pint in front of him, Diego watched with wonder as the head fizzed perfectly near the lip of the glass. He took a long sip before replacing the glass and nodding in appreciation, like she’d personally invented Guinness. He almost choked when she called him a looker and a sheepish smile started forming. For all the fame and fortune Quidditch brought, even for a reserve player like him, he’d never gotten super smooth with the ladies. Any time a pretty gal flirted with him, he turned into a useless pile of goop on the floor. He was a big talker until someone smiled.

Oh my god, oh my god, she remembered his name. Stay strong, Diego! Hold fast in the storm, little buddy!

Diego gave a huge grin and nodded, “yep, that’s me,” in response. What a moron. He was starting to realize that she knew his name and he couldn’t remember hers. Perhaps sensing this growing embarrassment, she reminded him of her name. It clicked immediately. The Thunderbird common room, sixth year maybe, a pretty blonde southern girl a year or two below him, the smell of honeysuckle for some reason (he might have made that up). Diego slapped his hands on the bar in excitement at the realization, before immediately recoiling and shooting an apologetic look to the patrons around him. “Sydney! Yeah!”

He felt much more at ease now that he remembered her, feeding on the companionship of a former housemate like they were long lost friends. “My team played a match against Puddlemere yesterday,” he started, “I stuck around to visit my grandfather and take in the sights. Hogsmeade is bigger than I thought it would be!” He was expecting a sleepy little village that only came alive when the kids came over from Hogwarts, but there was a bustle around town even in the middle of the week. “How’ve you been? How’d you end up here?” Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, and such.

---

TAG: SYDNEY HARRISON

[SYDNEY HARRISON]

Cause we might as well be blind

If seeing is believing

If God Smokes Cheap Cigars;;; Envy on the Coast

-----------------------------------------------------

Even though her life in the States had been far from ideal, there was still something oddly comforting about having a conversation with one of the good people from that time in her life.  She wouldn't go as far to say they were even FRIENDS per-say, but they were always friendly to each other.  She tended to keep to herself back then, and he was a bit more outgoing so their paths didn't cross all too often.  Though, that didn't stop her from admiring from afar.  


Who wouldn't though?  That long hair flowing in the wind, that extremely cute smile, it was a perfect mixture.  BUT that was neither here nor there, even if those thoughts potentially were creeping back into her mind as he flashed that same smile.  She swore she could see a bit of a blush creeping onto his cheeks, but she was going to just blame it on the lighting.  When she mentioned her name, his reaction took her a bit by surprise.  


She hadn't honestly expected him to remember her but his reaction said otherwise.  It was too genuine, and there was no way he was just being polite.  It definitely made her blush a bit, but hopefully the dim lights hid it.  She wasn't anything special, ESPECIALLY back then, so she wasn't really sure how or why he would know who she was.  She returned his smile with a warm one of her own, taking a sip of water from her glass.  "I was thinking of going to that match too!  Had I known you were playing I would have made more of an effort."


Was she flirting with him?  She wasn't sure if it was just her southern hospitality or maybe her encounter with Poppy had unlocked something inside her.  This was an oddly new version of Sydney, and she wasn't sure how to feel.  "Oh I know that feeling all too well.  Been here a few months and I'm still overwhelmed everytime I step outside." she said with a laugh.  If it wasn't for Paz, Sydney likely wouldn't ever leave the apartment but her roommate was quite...persuasive (that was the nice way of saying that Paz wouldn't take no for an answer).


Diego asked what brought her there, and she chuckled.  "Well, got tired of couch hopping back home, decided to try to restart life over here.  Been a bit hectic but honestly I'm growin to love it here." she said genuinely.  It had been quite an adjustment, but each day was easier than the last.  "How long you here for?  Just the day or you stayin a bit?"

Tag:DIEGO VÁSQUEZ

[DIEGO VÁSQUEZ]

---

He supposed he took the comforts of home for granted. His teammates were American and most had gone to Ilvermorny, so Diego never had to long for the companionship of people who sounded at least somewhat like him. He guessed it was probably lonely for her in the UK. Sure, there were probably enough American expats that running into someone wasn’t out of the question, they were having a conversation after all, but he assumed it was a rare occurrence. Diego could feel his slight Texas drawl creeping back in to match her own southern one, an unconscious response that happened any time he went home or talked to someone with a vaguely similar accent.

Now that he had a name to put with the face, memories were becoming clearer. Diego tried his best to remember everybody who’d been kind to him and he remembered her being friendly. Never the best of friends, due to circumstances and years separating them, but she was always nice at meal times and study sessions in the common room. Diego fought off a warm flush that threatened to rise up his face when she said she’d have made more of an effort to get to the game if she’d known he was playing. He stopped short of saying something like ‘aw shucks’ and, instead, gave a dismissive wave of the hand. “That’s alright, I didn’t sub in until near the end anyway.” Right, bud, because she’d be there to see you and not the starters. As if. He gave a proud smile anyway, “we won, though!” If she was flirting with him, it flew right over his head.

Diego chuckled at her statement about Hogsmeade before sipping his drink. “Do you live around here?” He wasn’t sure if people lived in the village or not. It seemed like there were homes, but he imagined many shop keepers might commute.

He listened intently as Sydney explained her decision to live in the UK and let out a breath in awe. “Whoa, that’s a big move. You’re so cool for that.” Diego was prepared to live wherever to play Quidditch, but he’d never had to really leave home. It would probably be good for him but the very idea of missing family get togethers sent a chill down his spine. What if his dad broke out the grill without him? He was happy Sydney was settling in well, though. Living in a different country and absolutely hating it would be such a bummer. She asked how long he was staying and Diego shrugged, “I was gonna go back tonight but I might stick around,” he didn’t have to be back at practice for a few days. “Depends on what sort of trouble I can get into here.” He flashed a smile and finished his beer. Getting a little confident and mischievous there, Diego.

---

TAG: SYDNEY HARRISON

[SYDNEY HARRISON]

Cause we might as well be blind

If seeing is believing

If God Smokes Cheap Cigars;;; Envy on the Coast

-----------------------------------------------------

From the moment she had left her house for the final time, Sydney had never once felt 'homesick'.  To her, it had never really been a home, just a place she lived.  Hell, school was the closest thing to home she knew, at least until she had settled in the UK.  If you had gone back in time and told teenage Syd that she would have made such a drastic life change, she would have laughed.  


But standing in this bar, talking with Diego, there was the slightest pang of sadness that was brief but strong.  The accent, the memories...maybe she did miss the States a little more than she would ever admit.  That was in her past though, and she was a firm believer in no regrets and no looking back.  Only looking ahead, and what was ahead was the beautiful man in front of her.


He mentioned not getting in until the end of the game, which surprised her a bit.  If she remembered, he was extremely skilled back in school ,so that had to mean he was on a hell of a good team.  "Hey, some playing time is better than nothing!  Still a chaser yeah?" she said warmly, surprising herself at how good her memory was.


She had to step away momentarily to fix drinks for the other customers, which she did with a smile before making her way back to Diego.  "Yeah, I live with a friend, her place isn't terribly far." she said, adding in her head 'I wouldn't mind giving you a tour...', a blush creeping back onto her cheeks at even having that thought. 


Diego seemed genuinely impressed that she had made that move, and she shook her head dismissively.  "Nah, nothing cool about it.  Just needed a fresh start and I was stubborn about it." she laughed as she spoke.  She wasn't going to get into the real reasons behind her move, as that would do nothing but bring the mood down and she wasn't about that life.


When he mentioned that he had planned on leaving that night, a small bit of sadness washed over her.  It was quickly replaced with a warmth when he smiled and mentioned he could stay if there was trouble to get into and Sydney suddenly wished her named was Trouble.  "I mean, if you wanna stick around for a bit I could show you around a little, grab a drink or two?"


This kind of boldness caught her by surprise, but she wasn't going to argue.  If he said no, no harm no foul.  If he wanted to stay....well they would cross that road when it came.

Tag:DIEGO VÁSQUEZ