And with that, everything slid into disaster. Edwin pushed Aisling aside as he lunged for Octavius, and she stumbled back, one hand going to her stomach as the other reached for her wand.

Someone beat her to the hex, and she let Elixa take her hand, shaking her head at the apothecary's question. "I'm well, you'd best make sure Octavius isn't hurt." It wasn't quite a lie, though she was still feeling queasy and a bit exhausted. And she could feel her stomach growling softly. Seemed she would be missing lunch.

"Edwin, do not make me restrain you." Her words might as well have been formed of ice floating in the air between them, for all the warmth they held. And her stern expression was no warmer than the words. She wanted to sit down, not to keep two of her oldest friends from killing each other. If she had to separate them again she had no intention of making it pleasant.

Mordecai watched as Edwin emerged from the house behind him - and then started when the man went for the driver. He'd trusted Edwin to keep his cool, and it hadn't worked. The brief moment of shock and surprise - and horror - gave way to annoyance and frustration. In one practised, swift movement his wand was out and he hurled a drastically diluted Cold Burn Hex[1] in Ed's direction before taking a run.

He got there in time to pry the two apart and stood between the two, his wand still out.

"Ed, one more time and I'll have you on the report alongside your friend too," he said. "I don't care that you didn't use magic, I'd just want you in front of the Wizengamot for using excessive force. Maintain a distance of at least three feet. Maybe I should have confiscated your wand temporarily, I regret I didn't but now you know I'm not against hexing." He glared in Edwin's direction. "Or duelling."

After a brief moment to let the words sink in, he turned around to Octavius and nodded to him. "We all need to get inside, now. Get ourselves calm. We're still out here, Muggles can be recognising the car and turning up on the doorstep any minute." He tapped the car with his wand, which finally turned invisible - thirty minutes too late, in his opinion. "We don't need a public row taking place and having goldfish-eyed witnesses gaping around the house. Get inside."

He took a deep breath and gave a quick smile, hoping to diffuse the situation. "And I think a spot of tea is in order, don't you think? I'll do it."

1.	Causes the area of skin hit to go numb but give a burning sensation through the affected area. Nonlethal and used to interrupt people. In nondiluted form it inflicts a lot of pain; adding a word to the incantation lessens the pain inflicted.

Tea, what a fantastic suggestion! Elixa's shoulders dropped and relaxed for a moment at those wise words.

With a little cajoling the party made their way back in through Edwin's front door, back down the hallway again and into the living room at the back of the house.

Edwin retreated to the patio windows the other side of the dining table and stared into the back garden with his hands in his pockets, jaw set. Pepper took a seat, staring at Aisling his moustache and beard twitching in such a way that he appeared to be trying to form words, but failing.

"Look, I can make tea, I know where things are, I lived here until a week or two." Elixa informed Mordecai with a less than comfortable gaze, still seeing his son very much in his face. Merlin, son should take a leaf out of father's wardrobe sense, he'd look good.

Then, despite herself, it fell out of her mouth.
"I've just moved in with Arcturus, actually."

Her brain yelped at the action and if her hands hadn't been full with finding mugs in the kitchen which was open plan to the living room, she would have clapped a hand to her mouth. Now Mordecai would tell his son she was wholly unsuitable to live with for consorting with angry men and flying cars.

The mugs came together noisily and her shoulders rounded, as if intimidated by the wizard. He'd certainly taken control of the situation nicely outside, for which she was glad.

"Er… how do you take your tea?"

Tea and calm. That seemed the best way to handle this, for the moment. There would be enough others there soon enough, to handle the mess. Two and Three and the Wizengamot later.

Aisling gave Mordecai a grateful smile, and followed the others into the house. She collapsed into a chair once inside, her gaze moving slowly between the various inhabitants as if she were in a bit of a daze. "Could you make mine, Elixa? You remember how I like it." Or, at least, what sort was appropriate for her at the moment.

She slumped a bit further into her seat, barely managing to raise an eyebrow at the combination of Elixa's statement and the clashing of mugs that followed it. "I should head to the Ministry afterwards, ensure the follow-up is organized on the Excuse Committees' end. " Suddenly, she was feeling far too drained to intervene in this sort of spat between friends any further. They were all far too old for such behavior, let alone compounding it.

With a loud crack, another figure joined them on Edwin's driveway, in a sudden flash of crimson robes and clashing red hair.  Jonas Trevelyan raised his eyebrows as he surveyed the situation, his fingers resting ever so lightly on his wand as his eyes shifted quickly from Edwin to the car and then across the others present.

"Hm..."  He couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow as he glanced more interestedly at the car, which seemed to be resting with all four wheels on the ground.  Apparently its Flubber impersonation had come to an early end.

"Found its way back again, has it then?" he asked cheerfully, glancing over the assembled crowd once more.  Aisling Knight, Glass's assistant from the Bank; some bloke that he recognized from the Muggles Artifact office on Level Two; Glass; a witch; and a man that had to be the mysterious Octavius Pepper.  "Sounds like Level Three's going to have their hands full on this one.  I think it already got picked up by Sky News."

Edwin stared out into the back garden, suppressing his anger, counting to himself. It was rare he completely lost control, but he'd slid that day, and pinning Octavius to the car had not been good at all. He was glad Mordecai had only chosen to hex him.

"Could you make mine, Elixa? You remember how I like it." Aisling's request caused him to flinch and he caught sight of his younger relative in the kitchen with Hollingbury. There was more going on there, but he breathed out heavily, putting it aside, and misting the glass with his breath.

Another set of feet traipsed in down the hallway, mixing with the sound of water boiling and cupboards being opened. They'd probably not wiped their feet either.

"Found its way be again, has it then?" Trevelyan asked cheerfully, entering the living room, "Sounds like Level Three's going to have their hands full on this one. I think it already got picked up by Sky News."

There was an audible sigh of displeasure.
"What about the Prophet and the Wireless?" Octavius chipped in with a grin, less interested in the Muggle interest. Edwin winced visibly, looking back over his shoulder. He turned away from the window and walked steadily round his dining table towards where the red-robed representative of level 2 had come to stand in his living room.

"Took your time." He snapped, though the full venom had been lost, and it sounded more like he was nitpicking. "Yes, it found its way back, thanks to Aisling and her powers of persuasion." He gave a split second glance to his friend and colleague for the action.

The Department Head folded his arms and gave Jonas a firm look, speaking in clipped, precise words.
"I want to make it very clear I did not give permission for the modifications to the vehicle, nor sanctioned it to be flown."

Tea was making its way round the group with Elixa, who paused between Edwin and Jonas to ask,
"Cup of tea? We're being civilised about this, you see…" Glass gave Mordent a sharp look, but her expression ignored him, smiling openly at Trevelyan as if she'd just offered him a drink at the Leaky Cauldron.

And there was Trevelyan. Aisling wasn't exactly reassured by his presence, given the tension with their previous encounter, but it did mean that matters were out of her hands here. It was the cleanup she needed to handle.

"Actually, I'll pass on the tea, Elixa. Think that I'd best head back to the Ministry and begin organizing." She stood, then brushed her skirt off with unneeded care, it still looked impeccable.

The rest of the party got a curt nod. "Mr. Pepper's antics will no doubt be keeping me busy for some time." From the sheer lack of emotion in her tone, she might have as well have been discussing the merits of Quidditch strategies.

Then she made her way out the back door. Her job wasn't as hands-on as it had once been.

Exit Aisling

"Look, I can make tea, I know where things are, I lived here until a week or two."

Mordecai put his hands up as if in surrender and backed off. "You know the teapot best, go ahead." He watched her make the tea.

"I've just moved in with Arcturus, actually." Pregnant pause. The clink of mugs broke the awkward gap in the conversation. "Er… how do you take your tea?"

Mordecai surveyed her quickly. She seemed nervous, maybe even regretful that she had just burst out with that. Was she assuming he'd think of her as some sort of wayward soul or something? He understood why, although he wondered if his son had ever told her that his parents trusted him to make his own decisions.

"I know, my son told me," he said casually. "Elixa Mordent, yes? He said you work at the apothecary. Must be a good job." He smiled, rather fatherly. "I hope you've settled in. Excuse his preoccupation with order, it's a habit he picked up from potioneering. And I like my tea just fine as it is. Thank you." He took the mug from her and smiled before sipping. A little weak, but weak was better than being too strong.

Aisling seemed tired. Mordecai sat down and gave her an encouraging smile, although she probably didn't see it. He set his mug down on the table. When Jonas Trevelyan came along Mordecai didn't even bother glaring at him. He took it for granted that Aurors had skin thicker than an erumpent's. A glare would just bounce right off.

"The Wireless, Mr Pepper," he said, "has already picked up the news. It's the reason why I'm here. Oh, where's my manners - Mordecai Hollingbury, Head of the Improper Use of Magic. I suppose you can figure out the rest of my responsibilities from there. It's a shame we had to meet this way, especially when I have to compile a report." He kept his tone light, casual. Really, there was no point acting all hostile. That just made people more aggressive and contradictory, and after today's trouble he didn't want to be the cause of more.

"Took your time." This was Ed speaking to Jonas. Mordecai leaned back to watch. Jonas would have enough time to figure out what he did, too. "Yes, it found its way back, thanks to Aisling and her powers of persuasion."

"She's amazing," Mordecai murmured.

"I want to make it very clear I did not give permission for the modifications to the vehicle, nor sanctioned it to be flown."

"Cup of tea? We're being civilised about this, you see…" The Head of Improper Use of Magic had to look away as he smirked at the timing. The perfect diffuser to any and all events of various natures, tea. How quickly the atmosphere had changed.

He watched Aisling leave, acknowledging her statements with a brief nod. Since he was here he wasn't going to hurry now, although he didn't really have a reason to stay. Then again it was either here or going back to the office to work. Lydia wasn't going to be pleased, but she'd gotten used to it since his appointment. He would expect a few words from her, and then probably dinner. No biggie.

"He did?" Elixa found herself saying without realising. He mentioned her to other people?

Her shock made her almost entirely miss the following comment as she gaped.

The situation easily dispersed, Aisling leaving, and Edwin although firm in speaking to the auror, was beginning to at least speak rather than thump people or hex them.

What an odd Sunday indeed. Having distributed the tea Elixa retreated back towards the kitchen, rounding Mordecai Hollingbury, her body language nervous. She was now amongst wizards, and she wasn't sure if they were entirely clear of the hexing. Hollingbury and the auror were certainly the best shot, so she was staying behind their wands.

"Is charming a car to fly an imprisonable offence over here?" She asked Arc's father tentatively from nearby in a low voice, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between Edwin, Octavius and Jonas.

"What with all the Muggles having seen him?"

"Oh, was it really?" Monty asked, quite impressed it had been that quick off the mark. Edwin didn't seem at all impressed in response, so his grin beneath his moustache subsided into the cup of tea which the extended Glass family provided.

Aisling was prickly, and left all of a sudden. Monty was still a little at odds with her news of having another child with Tarron. That wouldn't be helping Edwin's mood at all, he was almost certain his old friend still held a candle for the witch.

"You asked me to fix it." Octavius chipped into the conversation and watched as Edwin came simmering back towards the boil for it. In the presence of an auror, somehow the Department Head was managing not to throttle his fellow wizard.

"Look, I'll finish this cup of tea, and then I'll go to the Ministry and explain it. It's really just an accident, nothing to cause such a fuss about Ed." The tea cup disappeared again beneath his moustache and he winked towards Elixa and Mordecai.

"I mean, I could have painted Bagshot on it again for good measure."

Across the room two glasses exploded and eyebrows raised. Edwin had turned the deepest crimson and was staring resolutely in the opposite direction to Octavius on the sofa, stood beside Trevelyan.

The painter shrugged, finished almost all his tea even though it was a little too warm, and swilled it round in the cup, seeing if there were any leaves.

He got to his feet, dusted down his outfit (which had accumulated a few smudges of oil and dirt) and held out both wrists to Jonas as if to bind him with handcuffs, complying with ease, mostly to wind up Edwin who was refusing to make eye contact.

Sunday shifts were very rarely this personally rewarding.  Jonas coughed to mask a smile, but did a particularly poor job of it as he waved Elixa off.  There was a time and place for tea, but as amusing as taking the time to share a cup might be, he didn't particularly need to linger any longer than was needed.  And besides, he was far too looking forward to the owl that he was going to need to compose and send to Tamis Raynor.

"There's a decent bloke."  He flashed the erstwhile car enchanter a bright smile, waving his proffered wrists off as well.  "No reason for that if you're coming along willingly, eh?  Although I'll need you to hand over your wand.  You lot'll want to take in the automobile, eh?" he asked Hollingbury cheerfully.  "I reckon Misuse of Muggle Artifacts'll be along soon enough.  Between the two of you, you ought to be able to wrangle it."

There was one more matter of business to attend to.  Jonas gave a loud cough, returning his attention to the red-faced Department Head, who looked to be on the verge of a personal explosion.

"Permission or not, I'm afraid I'll need to ask you to come along as well, Mr Glass," he said, somehow managing to sound far more apologetic than he looked.  "Since Mr Pepper is implying that you invited him to work on the vehicle, and you are the registered owner of it."

Edwin's eyes moved from Jonas and his explanation that he'd have to also attend the Ministry, to Octavius fishing out his wand from his waistcoat with a shrug.

"Fine." Edwin managed, but the word shot from his lips with venom. He stepped away, into the kitchen and put aside what was left.

"I'll - I'll clear up," the remaining witch insisted quietly, and Edwin muttered thanks to her.

"My wand, Auror." Octavius extended it handle first to Jonas and then let his arms drop to either side once collected. From behind the auror Edwin gave him a murderous stare, only hoping his wife gave the painter a thorough ear bashing when she next saw him. Such a pity Catherine was a Muggle and couldn't hex him into next week, then again, he had three daughters…

"My apologies for having you out here on a Sunday," Edwin expressed to Mordecai before seizing his coat.

"There's a safe place to apparate at the bottom of the garden. Let's get this over and done with." He led the way to the back door and down the garden on the slate path to a place hidden by enough trees, not looking forward to a Sunday lunch ruined by speaking to Level 2 and being the headache of his own Department.

Back in the house, Elixa looked mildly awkward left in the presence of Mordecai, who despite being charming and perfectly professional, was still fascinating her only for his genetic links to her new housemate.

She busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen instead, and kept out of the way so that the now invisible car could be collected as evidence, ignoring the rumbling of her stomach, and mentally making plans to shift her remaining belongings out as soon as was physically possible.


End