He had always favored his father’s side of the family – low key, laid back.  He left the high strung stuff to his mother and youngest brother – some of his cousins… but right now he could practically see the resemblance he must have had to his mother – the vein on his forehead pulsing as he tried not to let his temper get the better of him.  It was hard though. 

The Wizards and Witches of England.

Archer’s jaw clenched despite himself and he took in a shaky breath, reminding himself that he should breathe before he said anything otherwise he couldn’t be held responsible for what he was going to say.  Archer tried his best to make sure what he was saying counted and couldn’t be gotten rid of because it was said in anger. 

Though, he had to be honest with himself: there was probably nothing he could say, even if he thought about it right now that wasn’t going to be colored with the obvious red of his feelings.  “The answer didn’t have to change, Tamis,” he put out there, first and foremost.  He wasn’t made she got a promotion – hell, he would be happier to see her up there than most people… “But you could have told me about it.  Even one word about it would have been fine.  I am a wizard of Britain, you know.” 

He could have thrown that in her face earlier… but it was an underlying point.  It had been close on two years for them, which seemed absolutely insane when he thought about it, but after two years, Tamis was one of his best friends – the person he trusted the most, probably out of anyone – family included. 

She didn’t even have to say she didn’t trust him – it was obvious in everything she did, every secret she kept.  He hadn’t minded before, but this wasn’t even something she had to keep a secret.  Nothing she had right now were things that she had to keep secret, really.   But he allowed her that luxury of privacy before.  Apparently, it had all weighed in, one small pebble at a time until it was finally too heavy to carry between them anymore. 

“You keep everything to yourself, Tamis,” he said with exasperation.  “I know about the case,” he shook his head.  “and I know you got Trevelyan working on it.  What I don’t know is why you think I’m somehow outside of the loop on these things.  I’m senior in the department.  I have seen just as much as you have, Raynor.”