It was weird how tequila arrives and logic just throws itself out of the window. They had barely sipped their drinks! But such was the only way to explain Fauna's leap of logic, from decrying Loggorhea to proposing a party game that literally involved having to sometimes tell the truth! Adrestia laughed at the suggestion and kissed the other witch's cheek affectionately.

Figaro was totally onboard with the truth-telling way of life which was... good? Maybe? Tia shot him a puzzled smile before clocking Lochlainn's offer, "Aaw, don't worry about it. I got my contacts," she winked.

Maybe he was offering unlicensed Wolfsbane, maybe he wasn't. Adrestia didn't want to get too close to the subject; she knew about a lot of underground resources for werewolves and she had to be careful not to talk about them. Definitely not around a reporter, or even around Fauna.

"Anyway," she continued, gesturing with her glass, "some secrets are good. Like, the statute of secrecy right? Or when you have to keep a secret not to hurt someone. Or to protect someone else. Let's be real."

Fig was talking about secrets being terrible as he gestured in the air in a way she'd seen before. Fauna frowned and drew back. Who had dealt it? Not her! Loch was talking about legalities and offering to brew potions for Tia. Very thoughtful! She sipped at something berry-flavored in her glass, and Tia kissed her on the cheek after proclaiming secrets to be good.

Fauna smiled bashfully at the kiss. Hm? Oh, Tia must be referring to all the investigative and protective work that Level 2 and Level 4 did. Secrets were good at the Ministry.

"You're so right," Fauna nodded.

---

Too many drinks later and without any Loggorhea to blame, Fauna had told several embarrassing stories about herself. She talked a little about her muggle family, and her awkward teen years, and Aurors pulling pranks at work. That time she'd unleashed a ghoul from a cabinet at Hogwarts! That time she'd fought back a fleet of geminio'd memos on Level Two. That time her sister had hopped on the Knight Bus with her after a night out much like this one (they'd somehow lived to tell the tale).

She listened to her friends, and flirted with Tia, and made the napkin-swan fly for a few seconds before it dive-bombed behind the bar.

Everything felt warm and fuzzy and funny. Then they declared it 'that time', and they all stood up and paid up and gathered their coats and bags.

Fauna slowly rose, her hand on the bar.

"Where are we going now? Home? Homes?" She chuckled. "To our homes?"

She hooked arms with Tia who was very pretty and lovely and standing steady right now.

"Under the sea with the grindylows," she murmured in a singsong.

Figaro was wrapping up a Quidditch discussion with Lochlainn. He'd warmed up to the strange sexy older guy as the night went on, finding it easy enough to forget how easily he spoke about home-brew Wolfsbane Potion and shady business.

    "See you make a good point, but you're wrong it's Ballycastle," Loch said. Figaro pulled on his coat (ever not quite right for the season).

"Get down from that," Figaro laughed at Fauna, who dangled off Tia's arm all soppy and happy. The years on the Auror Corps were affecting his old friend, and she was more and more interested in a drink. Figaro on the other hand, since November, was mellowing because he was just so tired. He drank less when he was out and a bit more when he was home to make his sleep

It had been harder to feel comfortable around Tia. She was really friendly and funny but she reminded him of the safe house. It was impossible to not. That and it was strange to see Fauna with someone.

He pivoted back to Loch, unable to let him have the final word. "And I've told you, Ballycastle are really sweet people but they've got skulls like everyone else. Bludgers are the equalizer, understand? Dom Wiedman is the undertaker."

Figaro held up his hands and lifted his eyebrows, point made he hoped.

"Aye aye, Bludgers are the equalizer, but we can use them also and can smash yer heads in." It was true bludgers could equalize but the truth is, none of Ballycastle were weak enough to accept taking a shot to the head as the end of the match for them. They're thick skulled, may seem like an insult but those in northern Ireland are a hardy breed, not accepting a simple injury like massive cranial trauma to stop them from catching the snitch.

So he didn't get much information that night, but it didn't matter to him so much, Fauna was incredibly drunk, if anything he wondered how it was possible for her to walk right now seeing how she was stumbling about the place and had to hold onto Tia. And Figaro just couldn't accept that he was wrong about Quidditch! The Falcons weren't a team, they weren't even flying clowns. They were the entire circus! Barely anything good can come from Cornwall, the Falcons were the closest to good and even then its debatable that they were a quidditch team.

"Homes sounds good." He sighed as he stood up from his chair, he checked his pockets to see how much money he had left, very much aware that whoever was on glass cleaning duty would be running overtime this night, he very much felt like they'd need a tip, although he himself could probably do with money after the night also, it had been fun but perhaps he should insist less in the future to pay for every drink.

So what had come from the night, alot of alcohol...wine isn't bad he supposed...Figaro liked telling the truth, or atleast what he assumed was the truth when it came to Quidditch. Tia and Fauna seemed like a cute couple, and to him a bit interesting, werewolf who said she had contacts for wolfsbane, and an Auror. That was bound to get interesting if anything happened with Loggorhea.

She had hardly been done with her first tequila when Tia started pacing herself. Which had been a good idea now that they were all finally ready to leave - a point she'd reached a little earlier than the rest, though she was content to hang out longer to listen to Fauna's stories. All this time she thought all aurors had the same, generally terrifying stories that cousin Andy told. But these were different.

These were Fauna-esque.

              "Where are we going now? Home? Homes? To our homes? Under the sea with the grindylows..."

Adrestia laughed, placing a steadying hold over the hand that the other witch had looped through her arm. Figaro was all about the quidditch - was that his default? - but Loch echoed the sentiment to retreat for the night.

"Homes=!" she exclaimed in the affirmative, raising her free hand like they were taking votes. "Three! That's a majority. Come on, I'm taking you," Tia bumped hips with Fauna, "home, sexy auror. And getting out some hangover potion for tomorrow." Apparating this drunk was not a good idea for either of them - that's what the Underground was for anyway.

Fauna laughed. Sexy Auror! She didn't mind it one bit when Tia called her that. No one else was allowed!

"Thank you, babe," she swerved in (like a dance step) and kissed Tia on the cheek and caught her balance again.

Oh Merlin, what term of endearment had just come out of her mouth.

Moving on!

"Bye," Fauna waved at Loch and Fig, who were discussing Quidditch tactics she cared not one iota about, as Quidditch was low on the list of important things according to Fauna.[1]

She would have hugged them, except she didn't trust herself to maintain her balance, and she was very comfy-cozy hanging off of Tia's arm.

"Bye," she said again, turning around to head homes.

1.

The list