Monday morning had arrived swiftly what with working Saturday and the sneezing muggles[1]. Edwin was reviewing a summary of reports from the previous week and the muggle newspaper clippings, a frown on his face at his desk.

The door to the main office which bore his name was slightly ajar so he could hear something, but not too much of the goings on in the main office. When he heard the familiar voice of his colleague from the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, he drew his chair back, placed down the paperwork and made his way to the door, where he stood quietly for a moment until his gaze on Aisling Knight was recognised.

"Knight, a word." He projected clearly across the office, in an altogether brisk and business-like tone. Her colleagues exchanged glances, recognising it not to be a pleasant invitation to their analysis.

Edwin disappeared back into the office and sat himself down again at the desk, spreading out the newspaper cuttings on his desk, and waited for Aisling to appear.

1.	Atishoo We All Fall Down

It was, unfortunately, not just any Monday. Aisling had spent most of the previous day resting, curled up on couches and feeling, if not quite awake, not quite asleep either. Forcing herself not to think of the work waiting for her when she returned. Such a case brought plenty of difficulties to address. And her head was still just a bit off.

Edwin's words, and the tone accompanying them, brought the faintest of a raised eyebrow before she nodded in response. A moment to adjust her cloak tighter around her shoulders-she felt a bit chilled still, and she started toward his office. There was still a faint twinge to her head, a sense that made her wish she'd worn dress pants and flats instead of her current clothing.

"Is there a problem with the case?" The newspaper strewn across his desk wasn't the best sign. She always did hate matters winding up in the papers, even if the story had been skewed about properly.

Or, oh, Merlin, had he heard about that? Well, it was handled now. Mended up and fussed over. "Did you need me in earlier? You should have sent an owl."

"No, not earlier," Edwin replied shortly. He put his hands together, lacing the fingers, resting the elbows on the desktop. His mouth formed a straight line behind them, and his gaze raised to Aisling.

"The coverage in the paper is commendable, who knew that genetically modified specimens could cause such allergies that would keep Muggles indoors for a weekend with cold symptoms in a whole street, and it cordoned off to remove the unseasonable pollen in the meantime. The ecologists are having a field day - pardon the pun - the conspiracy theorists are already writing the film plot."

His hands unclasped and he gathered together the clippings and notes. Before delivering the question he really wanted to know the answer to, having seen from afar Aisling and Tarron at St Mungo's on Saturday when he was still there dealing with the Muggles chained to their beds. He'd not crawled into bed until the sun was rising on the Sunday, staying on when the night shift had come on and he'd ordered many of his tired staff home - Aisling included.

"How is the head?"

"Good to hear. I'll arrange a few meetings to ensure that their data continues to support such conclusions." That would mean reading, and searching, and probably a few disapproving looks from Tarron about how she really needed to let herself rest.

The fact that he would be right didn't make it any easier.

Edwin's question made her blink, then stare at him in confusion for a moment before all the carefully shifting masks of composure slid back into place. Something more telling than words. "Much better. Worsened a bit after I reached home, but it's been taken care of.  Just under orders to rest, and not to go out and impact it again."

That this was a largely accurate summary of events didn't change the fact that Aisling had never been particularly good at resting, despite appearances to the contrary. The years had led her to become quite adept at the reassuring look, the expression of 'just a bit tired, it will pass'. Something just as much not quite a lie, and not quite the truth, as her work tended to be.

"Much better. Worsened a bit after I reached home, but it's been taken care of.  Just under orders to rest, and not to go out and impact it again."

Edwin's gaze was unflinching as she explained. No-nonsense-Glass this morning.

"Just under orders to what, Knight?" He asked, rhetorically, folding his arms over the desktop. "Rest, was it?"

Guilt trip delivered, he blinked and sighed, lowering his gaze to the paperwork he'd just gathered together. Much as he would work his staff hard, this wasn't a war, or a post-war situation. Things were settling, there were others in the committee who could take this on while wounds healed.

Raising his eyes again, he added in a softer, more hushed tone,
"Then what by Merlin are you doing here then? Honestly, Tarron will be in here to ask what I think I'm doing!" His mouth pressed into a thin straight line and he tilted his head in appeal to her common sense. "Oh... sit down before you keel over." The final comment was meant in half jest, as Aisling was tougher than that.

Producing his wand, he closed the office door properly and, putting it down again, rested his elbow on the desktop, and his chin in his cupped hand.
"I saw you at St Mungo's that night - I was still there, that's how I know."

Aisling possessed at least enough sense to sit down when it was mentioned, and the slump to her shoulders was both confirmation and acknowledgment to Edwin's points. "Tarron is quite aware of how stubborn I can be. And I did reassure him I would come home early if I felt poorly again." Something which had less impact given just what it took to wring such an admittance from her, but it was still better than naught.

"I presume you'll be equally insistent, then?" There was resignation there, it seemed that combined efforts could wear her down a bit. Or combined efforts in addition to the the slight lingering annoyance to her head. "Though I had hoped to finish a few projects before the winter break began." A few days there, a few in February, and the time could slip away so easily.

And she did have some older cases to review as well. Though it seemed she was not the only one who had been working too hard, or too long. "You were still at St. Mungo's by then? That makes no one in this room who does not put in too long of hours." There was a bit of a jest to it, he was the Department Head, after all. Working too long tended to be the norm.

Edwin softened his features a little as Aisling obliged to sit and the two of them were on the same level.

"Much as I admire your dedication, Aisling, your health comes first, hmm?" He spoke with a little more compassion than he had initially. He gazed across the desk at her, chin still cupped in his hand and sighed.

"I think I just about made it home by six on Sunday morning, yes, pot calls kettle black, but the worst I had was rabbit crap on my foot, not a head injury that needed treatment."

Edwin lifted his chin and sat back in his chair, the joints giving a creak as it accommodated his change in posture.
"You know you need to rest, but I can just see me sending you home and you not resting there either. Well," Edwin gestured with one hand, "if you must stay and finish a few things, so be it, but if I catch you looking woozy, or you feel unwell, you promise me you'll go home and to bed, yes? Even if I have to full body-bind you and take you there myself." As he spoke the last sentence he looked Aisling in the eye.

There was a pregnant pause.

"That might have sounded not quite as I intended." He muttered and looked away awkwardly.

Aisling listened quietly, rather inured to such talk by now. Or at least to portions of it, as the quip regarding putting prompted both a raised eyebrow and a rather sharp look.

"That might have sounded not quite as I intended."

"No, perhaps not. Though the point is well-made." Her lips curved into a bit of an amused smirk. "I promise that I will not strain myself, then.  I think we would both prefer that I not require further chastisement on the subject." The smirk grew wider, and her arms rested languidly on the chair, fingers just curved. "I would so hate for you to feel compelled towards actions that would force Tarron to challenge you to a duel, after all."

After a few moments, her expression faded back into a more neutral smile. "And there are some projects that I could bring home, so perhaps I will just attend to those."

At least they could both share a bit of a laugh at his misplaced comment!

"I would so hate for you to feel compelled towards actions that would force Tarron to challenge you to a duel, after all."

"Merlin yes, quite." Edwin agreed hurriedly, "I respect your husband very much, not sure I want to invite a duel with the Head of the Wizengamot, otherwise we might need the whole Department to mop up what remains of me." He chuckled, "He'd be defending your honour, and I'm no match for a man who has that."

Hell, did he have to keep putting his foot in his mouth like that? Edwin bit his lip, realising what he'd just implied yet again.

"Which one of us got hit on the head again?" He muttered and shook his head.

"And there are some projects that I could bring home, so perhaps I will just attend to those."

"That sounds like a good idea," Edwin replied kindly, "about time the others pulled their weight," he added, though it was clear he meant it in jest - Edwin wasn't one to let slacking be left unchecked in the Department. A summons to his office to pull your socks up was not an unusual gesture to anyone who tried.

"If there's anything you need me to prioritise to allow you to that, let me know." Edwin gestured to the paperwork around him, "Sometimes one can't see the wood for the trees."

"Which one of us got hit on the head again?"

"I'm beginning to wonder, at this rate." Edwin was certainly seeming a bit flustered, and his attempts to extricate himself were just making the situation more awkward. "I should probably collect my projects and leave you be, though. The analysis can be handled just as well at home." Home had a proper altar, as well. Some tasks were a complete mess without one.

"If there's anything you need me to prioritise to allow you to that, let me know."

She stood, and smoothed her skirt. "Of course. But all should be well, so long as I can avoid becoming once again entrapped by emergencies on my days off. Do promise me you won't work too hard in my absence." Though Edwin allowing himself too much of a break seemed a rather slim chance.

"Me, work hard?" Edwin chuckled in return, "When on earth does that happen?" he smiled and nodded, "Well if the Minister breezes in here, I'll be happy to tell her you gave me permission to slack off." He winked, reaching for a stack of envelopes on one side of his desk, each bearing his name and the Ministry address in different handwriting.

"I'll answer my fanmail, always good for the soul. If I get fewer than five howlers we can be sure of a good week." But by the number of crimson envelopes shivering beneath the pile of manilla envelopes, it didn't look like that would be the case.

"Close the door behind you, will you?" Edwin asked, using his wand to open the first envelope...



End