Absit Omen RPG

Brinley was surprised. He did not think Edwin would ever give flying cars his attention. Perhaps he still was not. Even though he wanted to send Brin to look into it. He had a sudden thought.

"Be prudent to take someone senior with me. Quill Som?" He asked the Minister. They both knew Quill very well. She had been Edwin's Deputy before he became Minister. Quill and Brin were close. Maybe getting closer. "When the night are at their shortest sir."

"With respect Madam Ollivander." Brinley raised a hand to interrupt. "Only if the Ministry houses are fully staffed." There was a bit of a difficulty recruiting suitable chaperones for some of the safe houses since the incident. They were not in the business of increasing capacity. There should be fewer werewolves as time went on. Safe houses would reduce the chance of anyone biting or being bitten.

"Perfectly pleasant place." Said Abbott. (Penny Pickler would be proud.) "Why Sir? Are we expecting visitors?" If they were it was news to the Senior Undersecretary. It was his business to know. But now Brinley put two and two together. "...The cars?" He asked.

"Confirmed sir." Said Brinley. He had seen the fingers. Regrown good as new. "How many more sittings for your portrait?" Brin had gone to one sitting. It was not long. Sketching. Early one. It would not be hung up until after Edwin died. But it was tradition. Every Minister had one painted. Zephyr had one Annwyl too. Ready to join the ones in the hall. The longer it took the more Pepper could put words in Edwin's ear.

Daisy looked at her brother. Looked at her husband. Her mouth was flat. Her eyes were narrow. She was on to them.

"All right." Said Daisy. "Heather can enter. But if anything happens to her. I hold you both responsible." That was easier than he had thought. Brinley smiled a lot. "You better give her some pointers." Daisy pointed at him.

"Of course." Brin saluted. High fived Jules.

END.

"It sounds as if you have your work cut out for you Madam Ollivander." Said Brinley. Respectful. "I can have a word in the ear of the Azkaban Head Warden. They are an old friend." Azkaban should not be impeding an inquiry. But criminals were obstructive. "The wolfsbane investigation is ongoing." Brinley tugged his shirt cuffs. "But not a priority." Loose werewolves at full moon were. And vampires. And wixes breaking statute. If someone made wolfsbane and it worked then there was not so much problem. "Unless direwolves resurface."

"You never complained about the lack of mini skirts at the time." Said Brinley. Joking. He would not be seen dead in a mini skirt. "Mum and Dad argued about you playing you know?"

"Only about which team." Said Daisy.
"No." Said Brin. "About you getting hurt."
"Yeah. But you were a hitwizard!"
"I almost broke ma's heart about that." Confessed Brinley. It was such a dangerous job. He was not unscathed. But he still had a good life. That was rare. He risked life and limb.

"No sir." Said Brinley. Dismayed with his findings. "Francis Pepper has investigated the tamper. But he is unaware of the creator." Brinley remembered the meeting. Francis had gone on for ages about the beautify of the tamper for half an hour. Brinley was patient and his friend but it was pushing it. "It has gone to Magical Law Enforcement as evidence." Even spying on the Minister was not a top job for them. "We think they only needed one to disrupt your timing for a week or two. Now they have been discovered they will not try the same trick twice."

"You are a true quidditch fan's coach." Agreed Brinley.
"Is that a nice way of saying I have aged, big brother?"
"Of course not. You will always be youth personified." Smiled Brinley. The skin around the corners of his blue eyes creased. Daisy would always be his little sister.

"I remember when you were at school." Said Brin. "Coming home and practicing quidditch all summer long. You begged me to help when I came round. Now look at you. Tinworth back garden to coaching the world's best. More people should recognize you." He squeezed her arm.

This inquiry was yet another thing the Minister had asked Brinley Abbott to handle. Madam Ollivander knew her mind. Brin had assigned Somerville to collect requests. To run them past him for approval before he did them. The Minister wanted to know what Ollivander was up to. To keep one step ahead of the press.

Brin span a kitchen full of plates for Edwin. No complaint. It was his job. But today he needed to be in two places. A political storm was rising in Europe. The magical measles was causing havoc. Foreign reporters had turned up. Thursby was here though. One benefit.

Brinley wrote and folded a red memo. Triplicated it. Let them flutter from his palm. Their paper wings battered angrily on the door until Somerville stood up and let them out. The urgent memos flew so fast Brin saw the hairs on the top of the junior assistant's head part.

It took a week to strip the Minister's office. Brinley had made sure it was thorough. He and Francis Pepper had lost thirty minutes. Brinley had no idea it had happened. Until Pickler pointed out how long they had been there. He had read more about them in the Ministry library. Could understand why Pepper was excited to find one.

Now the Minister was back in his office. Brinley was pleased. He had seen it reduced to an empty box. No wall paper. No carpet. The office had been as busy as Diagon Alley. It was proper to have Glass back where he belonged.

"Minister." Smile allowed. "Good to have you back." He closed the door. Took a seat. "We will search your every week when you leave. Make sure nothing is here that should not be." Brinley would make them search more often. It was important this was a place for secrets.

His sister was signing autographs. Brinley looked at Jules. Smiled secretly. Swirled his glass of Golden Snidget. Shifted his heel on the bar stool. They might need some more Felix Felicis shots. Daisy Abbott was a determined girl. Little sister or not.

Brin was a teenager when Daisy was born. He was her big brother. Loved her dearly. And her kids. Even her husband. Proud they were all Abbotts. It was those kids that got them here tonight. The biggest at least. Heather wanted to take part in some dueling competition. Not a school one. Bigger. Heather took after her uncle Brin so she came to her uncle for help. He could not deny his niece. But her mother could. Jules needed backup. It had been weeks. Months?

"They seemed like nice people." Said Brinley. "We got you a drink." Slid a shot of Amortentia to her hand. She had not asked for it. Jules bought it. Brin had Felix Felicis. It was gold and glittering. Like Christmas in a shot glass. "Ready? Three, two, one!"

"I better get my aim in." Smiled Brinley. He held out his hand for the paper. Not minding being a human post owl for Quill. He would for most other Department Heads. Quill was more than a fellow ministry employee.

"Saturday night. Owl me a time when you are done with the full moon." He really hoped Thursday's full moon was a quiet one this time. "I will make sure they have the really good gin in." He smiled. It was that smile that made the secretaries do an extra job with heart eyes. It was just his smile. Honest. But it was genuine to Quill. Every time.

He waved her papers as he left her office. "May trouble be a stranger to you Quill!"

"Good. Though may be I have cursed it for saying." Brinley shook his head. "I missed Pickler's tea round but I got to spend a while with you." He leaned forward in his chair. Feeling a sea change. That he should be getting on. Quill too. "There is a good shop in Diagon North Side which will fix that for you." Said Brin. Watching Quill tap her pipe. "Recommended to me. But I recommend to you as I have no need of it. Pipe and Candle. Next to Moke and Merrow." Brinley smiled. "I do not think I have been in there since we last went. I wonder if you can still play skittles. Fancy a rematch?"