“Hester!” Nadine exclaimed, leaning into kiss her friend on one cheek and then the other. “You’re looking well.”

Lunch with her friend was long overdue, with Hester’s promotion of sorts, there was much to catch up on. The past few weeks had been more than hectic, mopping up the mess from Almasy’s crimewave, dodging dementors and dealing with another missing squib report. That was before they added the ruddy vampires - which were literally ruddy when they got bitey.

Nadine sat down, sweeping her hand behind her to smooth her dress neatly. She liked to dress up a bit for lunch with Hester, because it was just the two of them and a bit of an occasion. Nadine spent most of her days in some sort of auror garb, rather than the odd pretty dress.

“So glad you could make it. It was too long a ghastly thing to write in a letter, that day. But I’ll bend your ear about my dear daughter in a bit. Let’s order wine and you can tell me what’s happening in your high-flying life, and how much simpler it is without children.”

"Nadine." Hester greeted. It was good to see her. It was time to talk to a good friend. "My high-flying life! I am not a quidditch player." Hester smiled. Sometimes she wished she was. A quidditch player would be easier!

"And as for no children. I have my own 'children' in the department some days!" Hester shook her head. She thought silly games were for Sports. Nadine would understand. The aurors were childish too sometimes. "Tell me, what is up? Is it Ariadne or Aoide?"

Children in the Department? Nadine could relate. The new intake of aurors were all so young, for starters, they were all Ariadne’s age. At that age, Nadine was on the way to becoming a mother, so it was a topsy-turvey maturity expectation from the auror, looking back. Some of the wizards on Two engaged in chauvinistic behaviour, but Nadine was glad that for the majority everyone was professional, even Pratt.

“Tell me, what is up? Is it Ariadne or Aoide?”

“Ariadne, of course.” Nadine huffed, signalling for someone to take their wine order, “Aoide wouldn’t put a toe wrong.” Her youngest was due to enter Hogwarts in September, just as Ariadne departed, such was the gap between them. Aoide of course, had been brought up with a present father in Rex, rather than Ariadne’s tearaway father, Orion. He embodied everything Nadine now looked upon as a silly teenage mistake. She had risen above it all, and now Ariadne was taking after her father.

They placed their wine order and Nadine continued to examine the menu as she explained.
“No, well you know she moved out last month? Well, she’s living with two boys.” Nadine rolled her eyes as if this was the end of the world. Boys and one girl, she only hoped Ariadne kept her legs together and didn’t become a young mother too. “Thankfully they are both new trainees in the Ministry, one on Nine, one on Three. I can keep tabs on them.” She settled on her choice and closed her menu, turning her attention properly to Hester as she bemoaned her first born.

“It’s also lucky, because Ariadne can hardly hold down a job. She seems to spend two minutes at one place and get herself sacked. If I hadn’t given birth to her, I might deny she was related to me, honestly, Hester.”

So Nadine had asked her to lunch to moan about her kids. Ok Hester could deal. She had moaned about her life to Nadine. That was what friends were for. When Hester left school in Japan she was offered a job. Her dad was Irainian Ambassador to Japan. Another diplomat offered Hester a job in Morocco. She worked there for a year. She was very different to Nadine's daughter. She could not compare. "Nadine she has moved out. It could be worse. She could be sponging off you." Hester said. "She has to learn."

Hester made reasonable points about Ariadne alternatively sponging off her. She could alternatively be on her father’s boat, sponging off him still, too, but had decided to stay in England. Nadine was more alert to the fact Ariadne could very easily be back to sponge off her soonish given her inability to hold down a job.

“Well she got her NEWT results yesterday,” Nadine explained, the news fresh in her mind. “Honestly she might as well not have sat her Herbology one, acceptable.” No daughter of Nadine’s would get acceptable. They would be at least exceeds expectations like she had been. “The rest were exceeds expectations, well, not my expectations,” the auror huffed. Ariadne was ever so much more capable of these marks. Why on earth she’d done so poorly, in Nadine’s view, she did not want to consider. The whole matter of the Gamp family was not to be used an excuse, because if it were the reason for Ariadne’s academic failure then she would cut them all off.

“Charms was her only redeeming grade of outstanding. She takes after her father. He’s delighted of course. But he got rotten results and managed to make a living sailing around on his ridiculous boat. With that sort of role model it’s no wonder.” Nadine rolled her shoulders back defiantly. He brain had decided to suppress the fact she had adored that life when she had been quickly married to Orion. It had been exciting, but very difficult with a baby.

"But she passed them all. That says something Nadine." She did not think Ariadne was stupid. Nadine had high standards. That was obvious. "We have applicants who list their fail grades." Hester said. She shook her head. They were silly. "They are better not listing them. If I know they failed it is bad." Hester had high standards at work too. She did not have kids. Kids were hard. "And she has moved out. That is independence. What does she want to do? What has she tried?"

Nadine huffed a little to herself. Hester was being so reasonable about it. You could tell she wasn’t a mother. Ariadne knew Nadine had expectations of her, just as Aoide did. Why on earth wasn’t she living up to them, she was just like her father.

“Well, she worked for the menagerie in the Alley, but that turned into a disaster, she’s tried the robe shops but they took one look at her and well, you know they see how you’re dressed before they even think of qualifications. Then she was at Madam Primpernelles and the latest news is that she’s got some trial at the Daily Prophet but it seems far fetched to say the least. I am beginning to wonder if she is just telling me that so I am satisfied.”

Nadine shook her head and signalled for a waiter to take their orders. Once he was gone she was only glad to continue grumbling, since she had a captive audience.

“I don’t know why she couldn’t just pick a career and stick to it. I mean, Aoide’s got her heart set on being the next Hermione Granger. That’s respectable. Why can’t both my daughters be like my baby?”

Hester's head shook. Aoide wanted to be Hermione Granger. She just had to find the next chosen one. Hester shrugged. "Does anyone truly know what they want to do at that age though?" Hester asked Nadine. Hester was lucky. She had lots of guidance. "Be glad she is independent. Ariadne could be jobless and under your roof." Hester guessed that would make Nadine 100 times worse. She thought of how she could help. "We have a few vacancies on Five. If she is capable of a bit of admin."

“Really?” Nadine asked, appearing genuinely surprised at Hester’s suggestion. Really, she had set things up here to try and appeal to her friend’s best nature to help. Ariadne liked Hester, as far as Nadine understood, and Level Five might appeal to her daughter’s interest in travel. She could only hope and imagine Ariadne taking a good job in that Department, like Rex had. A secure, stable, respectable income from a government department…

“Would you just interview her?” Nadine asked, “put her on the spot and give her your honest opinion. And of course tell me everything too.” Nadine leaned a little towards Hester as she added the caveat. “She needs a wakeup call and she’s just not listening to me.” She eyed her good friend, "She respects you.”

Had that sealed the deal?

“That would be simply wonderful Hester. You’d be the best friend.”

"All right. I will send her an owl and invite her in when I have time." Hester said. It would be helpful. "Worst she can be temporary. She can clear up the memos. Answer the post." Hester said. "It will be more regular than an internship for the Prophet."

Sometimes, Nadine couldn’t believe her luck. Most of the time it was friendly manipulation though. They hadn’t even begun to eat and she had already achieved an early win for one of her objectives. Get Ariadne-a-proper-job with secondary objective where-I-can-keep-her-in-check. If the daughter didn’t crash and burn her interview with Hester, it might be achieved, though she wouldn’t put it past her to act like her father.

"Hester," Nadine smiled, “you’re a beauty.” She leaned over and placed a hand gently on her friend’s arm, expression sincere. “That would be a wonderful thing to do, and I would be eternally grateful for your help.” She held Hester’s gaze for a moment longer. “Let me get lunch.”

End