“I wouldn’t deny us this Miranda?” The cold voice of Jacob Carter was directed across the table. His only daughter’s dark eyes met his, each glaring at one another. The wood acted as a barrier between the father and daughter and the public location served to keep the appearance of their meeting somewhat amicable.

Yet there was a tension in the air and Miranda’s hackles were quickly rising.

“Us?” Her eyebrows rose and a nervous laugh escaped her lips. “For you, ‘us’ used to be the healers that I’m trying to protect.” She told the 87 year old calmly. “Now who is it, Pa? The wizards and witches that sit around a table deciding the fate of St Mungo’s having forgotten what it’s like to actually be on that floor healing patients?”

“You took this job to become one of us.” The ignorant wizard responded.

“No. I took this job to make a difference.” The healer’s voice began to rise in volume. “Not to lower wages or sack good healers because my predecessor couldn’t count properly and my governors can’t find adequate funds.”

“I thought you would do anything it takes.”
“To destroy the hospital I’m now in charge of? You really know me so well, father.”
Mr Carter physically stiffened. His teeth grit together and he slammed his glass down on the table.
“Watch your tone, young lady!” His voice was harsh, trying to assert his authority over his 47 year old daughter. He pushed his chair back and shook his head. “There’s no talking to you right now. I’ll give you some time to reconsider your priorities.” His gaze remained on her for a moment before the wizard stood slowly and left the pub.

Miranda watched her father leave, her expression hard and stern. Once he was out of the door she stood up and turned around to the bar. Stepping through the various tables, heels clicking on the floor, Miranda approached the bar and spotted a familiar face sat up on a stool. Her lips pursed and she considered turning and leaving immediately.

Yet instead she continued to approach and lifted herself onto the stool next to him, crossing her legs at the ankles and turning to the barkeep.
“Firewhiskey. Triple.” The Devonshire accent was stronger than normal, her irritation having brought the accent out. She glanced to the side at the fellow healer.

“Your hair looks practically flammable, Marren.” Her lips twisted into a small smirk after commenting on his hair product.

It had been a rather uneventful Friday, which was just as well in his books. What with potty training Aidan and juggling his time between work, his son, and Layla, he was happy to have an easy going day. It meant he was able to get through paperwork that he had been neglecting, as well as catch up on a lot of inter-ward mail. Budget proposal was coming up soon for the next fiscal year, and he had been devoting a good chunk of his work days (and some of his off time) to making cuts where he felt he could.

It was not an easy task, that. There were a lot of necessities and needs with little available funds. The economy was not the best; from what he read, it was affecting both muggles and wizards alike, albeit in different ways.

The older he grew, the more weighed down he felt by the hardships of society. It was taxing to read the news; there was distress all over the world. Each corner seemed to have its own hardship. Sometimes he just needed a drink to bring him back down to his own little world. Bringing up a child in the uncertainty of it all... worried him.

And he wasn’t a great role model, either.

So that was why he sat at the pub bar, sipping his beer and trying to listen to whatever game was playing. Jason had noticed Miranda when she came in, and tried not to make eye contact. He would have preferred a different pub, now that he thought about it. Fingers ran through his hair as he squared his shoulders and focused on his drink as much as possible. Layla was supposed to come and meet him in an hour or so...

If he overheard some of what was said, it was because they were being so loud. Jason was trying really hard to not overhear it.

He would’ve groaned if he didn’t think she would get some sort of pleasure out of it. Jason took a slow breath and lifted his beer up, taking a sip and acknowledging her with a nod and small smile. Her order was a little hefty... But who was he to judge? Her comment on his hair made him roll his eyes, pulling his beer a little closer. “Make sure you don’t light your potent firewhiskey near it, then.”

Jason shifted and turned just slightly towards her, his body language being more friendly than he really wanted to be. “So how was the father-daughter bonding?”

Not looking his happiest, Jason Marren responded to Miranda’s comment and she smiled softly. He no doubt wouldn’t ever be particularly pleased to see her. Miranda knew this. He probably blamed her for the breakdown of his marriage. She was the witch he cheated on his wife with and she was the witch who ended it when she’d had enough. It had hurt his feelings, she knew that. But has he seriously thought they would become a serious item when he decided he was done with the wife he was cheating on? Miranda knew it had just provided a reason for him to leave her. If Marren wanted to blame her, fine.

And then there was the leaving the country without telling a soul. People had presumed her dead after Pratt had gone wild. How was she to know such things?
Now she was once more his boss after many years of him being a charge and on an equal footing. He wouldn’t like that. Not with their history.

“Terrible.” Miranda muttered as she drew the firewhiskey between her fingers and raised it to her lips. She took a gulp and closed her eyes. “He still thinks he owns me after pushing me to become a healer when I was a teenager.”

Another sip from her tumbler and then dark eyes fell over her colleague. She took in his appearance and the corners of her lips twisted into a slight smile. “You’re meeting someone here.”

Jason tilted his half empty glass of beer in her direction before taking a sip. It seemed fathers did that to their daughters. Or some did, anyway. An overbearing I know what’s best for you sort of thing. He was glad he had a son. It made life so much easier. Women had so many issues that he couldn’t keep one straight, let alone trying to help raise one to be a decent human being. Which, come to think of it...

“How’s Maya doing?” To be fair, Jason had been relieved and irritated when Miranda had shown back up. Relieved that she wasn’t dead and nearly spitting words-angry that she hadn’t told anyone. He could only imagine how her daughter had felt, if she hadn’t known. And right now, he couldn’t remember if Miranda had ever said if she had told her family or not.

Her observation was met with his eyes rolling. How observant of her. “Why does Daddy Carter need to pull the daughter strings? Are you two not getting along with your new position?” He had time to kill before Layla showed up, especially if she was late. At least another couple beers, depending on how drawn out he could make them. Just in time for some pub grub before they headed home. If she wanted to discuss what had been slightly overheard, then he was all ears.

What Jason did not need was Miranda getting wind of his latest girlfriend. He really didn’t need to hear it from her, not yet. She always seemed to have an opinion whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. Jason leaned on the bar and raised an eyebrow, taking a handful of peanuts and chomping on them as he waited.

Early was something Layla Styles never was. And yet, because Koreans were apparently very efficient and time-saving, here she was. Her meeting with the big bosses had lasted a lot less than what she'd expected, but it had gone relatively well and she supposed they at least liked her work, if not her personality. Lala thought people that actually liked her personality deserved kudos from life itself. And maybe winning the lottery...

Regardless, dressed like she never did, with actual single-colored brown hair pulled in a loose high bun and actually wearing her glasses for a change, Lala arrived some half an hour early, not expecting to find Jason at all, let alone actually... occupied with someone else. Her smile faltered in about 0.5 seconds flat the instance she realized it must be a woman from what her behind was offering, but as soon as she caught Jason's eye her smile was back in place and she gave a little wave, head tilting to the side to squint her eyes menacingly for only just a moment.

As soon as she approached the bar she cleared her voice and smiled sweetly, but really it only took a closer look to realize that her smile was forced and rather dangerous. "Am I interrupting"  she sort of asked, but more implied that she couldn't give a rat's ass if she had. She raised on her toes to place a kiss on Jason's cheek, lingering, hand coming on his shoulder to keep herself standing. And if she felt like a clingy mono-emotional octopus... well. Turning to the other woman, which Lala would like to think work acquaintance, or something cold and distant because her face screamed danger do not approach, and perhaps frigidity, and some sort of foul anyway. And, actually, in no universe would she go there. To their history. Hopefully their non-existent history. She nevertheless smiled and extended her hand.

"Layla Styles. Pleasure"  she introduced herself, miraculously using her entire name for once, full toothy smile on display. Her dose of pleasantries exhausted for the day, she turned and took the stool next to Jason, using his thigh to push herself up. "Hi, you" she smiled fondly this time, leaning on the bar with her face cradled in both her hands, eyelashes fluttering coyly at Jason. Her mental snort at her own fluff should've been recorded for posterity.

Marren decided to ignore his boss's statement, instead pressing the issue of Miranda's dysfunctional relationship with her overbearing father. He thrust his hand into a bowl of nuts on the bar and threw them into his mouth, chomping gruffly and crunching loudly. Eliot watched with pursed lips. Any self respecting healer wouldn't put such things in their mouths knowing everyone else had probably touched them as well. But then, knowing the effects drinking could have on a witch didn't stop the Head Healer.

"He's forgotten what it's like to actually work in the hospital." While Jason chomped through the nuts, Miranda pulled a cigarette from her pocket and lit the tip with her wand. She slowly took a drag and lowered it, turning her head to see exactly who Jason had been waiting to meet.

The young witch made a beeline for Mira and Jason at the bar. The girl approached, smiled awkwardly at Miranda and proceeded to grope at Jason, kissing his cheek and lingering for a little longer than was comfortable for the witch that was now taking another drag of her cigarette. Yet Miranda didn't avert her eyes, instead she watched carefully as Layla Style introduced herself and used Marren as a level to push herself onto the stool.

"Miranda Elliot." The older witch stated, the tiniest smile on her lips before she looked back at Jason. "You should have said you were meeting your niece here, Marren." The girl was surely too young to be anything else. She looked about Maya's age. 

Considering Miranda was just getting back to the hospital, he wondered if he should point out that her and her father shared a little bit of the same sort of predicament. However, he kept his mouth shut. Or, rather, he kept it full of nuts that he chewed on, arching an eye at the cigarette. Politics at St. Mungo's were not so easy to put into words. What might be considered for the good of the public was not always what hit the sponsors just right. What they did in the name of health for money was sometimes soul-damning, if you looked at it close enough.

Speaking of looking around. There were many parts to the bar that were rather eye-catching.

Except then he saw - oh shit - his eyes widened. Jason might have turned slightly pale. What was she wearing? No, no. He was going to be thankful for what she was wearing. He swallowed and smiled back (or thought he was) before giving her a nod of his head. She looked super grown up. Much more than usual. Hopefully Miranda would get a sudden onset dragon flu and have to be quarantined right away.

He raised an eyebrow at Layla’s reaction, surprise evident on his face. “No...” He had turned towards her a bit; the kiss was rather tame for Layla, but he was very thankful that she was being so decently human. Or adult-like, anyway. Mature. The introduction nearly set his nerves on fire; he gave Layla a small smile and reached out to gently rub her back. Jason bit his lower lip and glanced at his nearly empty beer. His hand reached up to flag down the bartender when Miranda’s next comment settled in his head.

“She’s not-” He shot Miranda an irritated frown before his hand dropped back to the bar, finding his pint. Neither of his brothers had procreated; there was no way he could have a niece her age. She was taking the mickey out of him. He let out a small huff of a breath before rolling his eyes. “She’s my girlfriend, Elliot.” Jason finished his pint before the bartender came over, ordering another pint for him and letting Layla order for herself before motioning to her. “Or are you still working on your triple, Head Healer?”

Jason didn't look quite as pleased to see her as she would've hoped. And on one hand she could understand, what—given the fact that he'd caught him... Okay, she hadn't actually caught him doing anything. But it was still something of a surprise. While on the other hand—wasn't he the one to set up this date-amajig? So what was this woman doing here? She wasn't the jelly-jealous type. Much. But she wasn't comfortable around strangers, especially when they were acquaintances of her boyfriend. Huh, boyfriend. That was still so very, very strange...

Lala acknowledged the woman's name with a nod and sort of a smile, ignored in favor of making pretty eyes at Jason. Her smile grew as his hand rubbed comfortingly at her back, and she was just about to relax and put the bumpy start off to surprise when the woman spoke and Lala's arsehole antenna went haywire and her smile completely disappeared off her face to be replaced with a stony, unimpressed expression. Her head turned slowly, ever so slowly towards the woman and she leveled her with a barely raised eyebrow and lips pursed. Whatever might that weirdly shaped nose be doing in her and Jason's business? Rude.

When Jason started to talk, her eyes moved to him, blinking lazily once, awaiting his reaction, her mind coming up with a 'No, really. That is absolutely fascinating. Please. Go on' which she barely managed to not actually voice out. When he finally did set the situation straight, Lala let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She smiled a little and subtly moved one hand to rest it on his thigh, squeezing just a little bit, to let him know she was grateful. She was about to ask Elliot who ate her bowl of sunshine that morning when Jason's next words finally hit, two in particular ringing strongly: Head Healer.

Oh... Well, for once in her life Lala was glad she hadn't spoken without thinking first. Her nostrils flared for just a fraction of a second as she swallowed all the nasty comments that were really, really wanting to get out. This was his boss, gdi. Instead, she turned to the bartender and ordered herself a G&T. And then because she simply couldn't, Lala instructed her face into a smile that might as well say I'm so happy, I could shit rainbows. "A triple?" she asked, faux-surprise in her face. "My respect for your liver—" she added, batting an eyelash sweetly "Mrs. Elliot" she added after a beat, the embodiment of innocence. Bitter old ladies couldn't possibly be a miss.

"How was work?" she then immediately asked, turning to Jason with a sincere smile, hand absently extending to grab her glass. She'd need about ten G&Ts to live through this. Or possibly Jager.

Jason looked visibly uncomfortable and jumped on Miranda’s statement with what appeared to be a great deal of frustration. She owned up to the teenager being his girlfriend and Mira looked past him to the girl who was now scowling at her boyfriend’s boss. Girlfriend.  Mira’s lips twisted into a small smirk. She was young enough to be one. But Jason? A boyfriend? He was in his thirties with a child and he was dating someone Maya’s age? Well he’d made quite an age leap after their affair.

When the healer and his new girlfriend ordered their drinks, Mira took a drag of her cigarette before blowing the smoke out slowly. The cloud formed the shape of a dragon before fading away just in time for Elliot to stare at Jason as he made a pointed remark about her drink.

"My respect for your liver—Mrs. Elliot" The young witch piped up, evidently wanting to bark and mark her territory on her wizard friend. The healer suddenly felt quite cold, her face paling as she glanced away. It had been years since someone had called her Mrs Elliot. She was a healer and that was exactly what people called her nowadays. She’d not been a Mrs for many years. It dragged her back to her late twenties, excited to have the name changed and be Mrs Elliot. But then resurfacing were the memories of being sat in the hospital cubicle gripping onto his hand as life ebbed away, the healers ignoring the fact she was their boss, their charge. Formality had won over as they’d told Mrs Elliot there was nothing to be done.

“I’ll take another.” The last of the drink was drained and Mira pushed it forward on the bar before turning to Layla Styles who was turning her attention back to her boyfriend. She tapped her cigarette over the ashtray and drew a calm smile to replace her previously uncomfortable expression.
“So tell me, Laura, how did you meet Marren?” She bit back the urge to ask if it had been at the Hogwarts career fair. Any rebuilding of friendship between her and Jason would be lost if she made cruel digs at his young new piece.

Of course the one day that she didn’t have to show up on time, she was early. Jason wondered at his luck. Not that this was inevitable, if Miranda stuck around for a while. There would have been parties and fundraisers that Jason would go to, and he would have taken Layla as a date, if they were still dating then.

This was just... unplanned. Which made it a little more frustrating, on his part. He couldn’t work out how things might go because right then, he was going by the seat of his trousers.

Which was going to end in a pit of fire, because Layla was nearly bristly with indignation next to him. He just barely stopped himself from grimacing as he took a slow breath. His eyes closed at the mention of Mrs., a roll of his stomach at long memories. A quick glance to Miranda showed a little of what she thought of that. He flicked Layla’s thigh under the bar, giving her a pointed look.

“It was fine. Busy...” He tugged at his earlobe and took a sip of beer. And then nearly choked.

He swallowed hastily so as to get the first word in on Miranda’s question, laughing as he waved his hand in the air. “Layla and I met a... well, a few years ago, I guess, because she does a lot of odd jobs. She’s very talented, a great artist. Right, love?” His Irish thickened a bit as he turned his attention from one woman to the next. “You know, Miranda, I bet we could use some fresh paint on the First Floor. A little updating wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Lala was preening inside seeing the old lady's reaction, but it was short-lived as Jason had shat all over her tiny bit of happiness, flicking her thigh and giving her the sort of look her mother did when she was particularly unimpressed with Lala's social skills in front of her friends. Her face has thundercloud written all over it as she batted Jason's hand off her thigh and huffed softly. He was supposed to be in her corner and she was, in fact, behaving. Balls.

His reply was met with a cold I see, eyes not quite rolling but going up a bit, as her tongue clicked inside her mouth. She was just about to swallow a mouthful of gin & tonic, when the hag spoke again and Lala choked so hard, half the contents of her mouth spilling across the bar as she turned her head slowly, ever so slowly towards the woman, with a look of pure, unadulterated shocked hatred on her face, mouth hanging open ungracefully and eyebrows so high on her forehead they might as well fly completely off her face.

But before her scathing acidic response to that particular display of rudeness could even form inside her head, Jason was already talking, and her wrathful, stony gaze had turned to him. Ye gods, she hoped something ate that woman or—better yet, she hoped she stepped on a sea of legos. Possibly with tacks scattered around them.  Actually, why the bloody duck should she even care what some shriveled hag had to say to and about her? She wasn't the bitter old lady nursing a firewhiskey... If anything, Lala felt sorry for her.

Now, Jason on the other hand—sure, she was grateful he'd intervened before she could've said something to get him in trouble with his boss. But the way he'd gone about it, leaving her no room to get a word in, speaking for her—like she was some dim blonde bimbo that couldn't be trusted with too many words at a time. That was not okay and there would be words. "Right" she said stonily, her disapproval written all over her face. Taking her hand off his thigh, she angled her body a little away from him, not obviously, but certainly not very subtly either.

She opened the flap on her hand bag and rummaged for her pack of cigs and her lighter, placing them on the bar. With her cig lit and the first puff inhaled, she felt some little sort of relief and she turned to eye both Jason and Elliot with an unimpressed, devil-may care expression. " I can recommend you some sound house painters" she said, no fluctuation to her voice and attention quickly returned to her unfortunately empty glass. Between the murals and coordinating with decorators and house painters, she had enough experience and work connections to point them to some good workers.

Goodness wasn’t it clear from both Jason and his new piece that Laura was not in fact her name and neither was it appreciated that Miranda had called her that. Laura’s venomous scowl could have poisoned an obese troll and Jason’s emphasis upon the name Layla could have made the troll understand perfectly. Then he continued to stumble over his words, his accent becoming stronger with nerves. Dearest Marren didn’t feel content sat at a bar with his boss and his latest young girlfriend. How many, Miranda wondered, had he had since their fling? Had they been on a gradual slope to getting younger?

Layla or Laura or whatever her name was started to ignore the grownups and instead rummage through her handbag for a packet of cigarettes and a very muggle lighting device. Miranda reached over to an ashtray, stubbing her own out into it with her still bandaged hand.

"I can recommend you some sound house painters" the moody teenager added to the conversation and Miranda’s lips twisted very slowly into a calm smile.

“It’s a hospital, dear. I don’t need my house painting.” Come to think of it, she didn’t need the hospital painting either; not with the measly budget left from the previous Head Healer’s inability to take care of a hospital. The tumbler of fire whiskey was once more gripped and Mira took another hearty gulp. She partly regretted ordering another which meant she had to stay in this company for any longer with the young witch scowling between her and Marren. Had Laura been told about the affair or was this harsh glare simply coming from her own petulance? Jason had certainly picked well…

“I think, Jason, your girlfriend might prefer you to go and take a table alone with her. Leave Mrs Elliot here with her large fire whiskey and alcoholism.” The healer’s voice was quiet as she addressed her former friend. “Laura doesn’t seem to like grownups.” She just couldn’t resist the comment.

The look and return fire from Layla did not ease Jason’s worry. This was not going any way but down... And he didn’t even know how to save it before it crashed and caught fire. There was going to be a lot of explaining he would have to do, but right now was not the time. It would be too awkward.

And then... it just got worse. Jason gave Layla a look before picking up a few napkins and wiping down what he could get to of the mess that came out of her mouth. His attention swung back to Miranda, quick enough to make him dizzy. Perhaps Jason was drinking his beer a little too fast.

The way that Layla was acting... he wondered why he’d thought to have her meet him here at all. He should’ve just met her at home, taken her somewhere after that. This was all going to hell. Jason wanted nice things, why couldn’t he have them? His lips pursed at the reaction she gave, but after breathing out of his nose, he finally forced a smile and turned back to Miranda.

“Oh, Merlin’s beard, Andy. Stop.” If she didn’t, Jason was going to step back and let the two bit ladies commence with their fight. And he would be going somewhere else. “I’m sure house painters would be cheaper than anything the board could come up with. And the hospital is in need of updating. Budget aside.” His elbows rested on the bar and he rubbed his eyes with one hand while the other fished around for his pint.

“I would prefer that, too.” He looked at her before frowning. “You’re much better alone. Have fun being a grownup. I'll see you at work.” Jason turned his stool and stood down, picking up his pint and Layla’s drink, motioning to a booth. “We can grab dinner, if you still want.” The amount of explaining he was going to have to do... was mind-boggling. Where did he start?

Layla felt ice run down her veins as the woman's reply came, that dear feeling like a bludger at supersonic speed right in her face. She would've liked to punch her; it would've given her immense pleasure to see that haughty expression wiped  off her face. And Lala may be small, but years of running with punks and bikers had her packing quite a bit of an uppercut. But the strangest thing was that it only lasted a moment... Just a little moment and then she was left feeling small and powerless.

"Of course," she mumbled taking a long drag of her cigarette. Even Jason's attempt to diffuse the situation had gone unnoticed and she was left staring down  at the ashtray with a numb look in her eyes and her lips in a straight line. Was this how it was always going to be with his friends and acquaintances? Was she always just going to be this young thing on his arm always in need of explaining and defending? And Jason looked tired... How long before he was done with it? With her?

Elliot's next words had her letting out a small shuddered breath, a glimpse of utter relief passing on Layla's face but before she could even give her quiet approval with a nod, the lady went and took a last jab at her. She was left gaping like a fish, unable to properly comprehend just why the woman seemed to have such a problem with her. She was his boss, right? So why the everloving hell did she care who Jason dated and how old his date was? Unless--but no... No way,  right?

She gave a small smile to Jason, a fond look in her eyes, but it was short lasted. Despite his brave attempts at defending her, or whatever--his choices in girlfriends, she couldn't really say, the fact that there was a need for any of it soured pretty much everything at the moment. As Jason picked up their drinks she gave a last look at the woman, an unreadable expression in her eyes. Right at this moment was usually when she left her with a sarcastic, scathing comment, but she refrained, keeping her cheek in tongue and simply nodded gravely.

She walked quietly behind Jason, doing her best to not seethe, but she as just tired...  She hadn't done anything to deserve this. She had tried being polite, she really had. She shook her head slowly in reply, smiling a bit pathetically. She really wasn't feeling up to dinner. As she took a seat in one of the booths, she let out a long sigh and finally raised her eyes to him. "Were you two...  Close?" she barely whispered, voice unsteady and teeth working at the inside of her lip nervously. There really was no other explanation for the woman's judgement. If she were simply his boss, she wouldn't have ever taken such liberties, she thought.