Monday, 8pm
May 11, 2009
Ugglebarnby, Yorkshire

Niobe Thursby was in the tiny, unfortunately-named town of Ugglebarnby to pry in another's business.  It was only natural.  Only neighborly.  Only they weren't neighbors, Ed Pratt and Thursby.  They were acquaintences from opposite sides of the tracks.  She a feisty Daily Prophet reporter who commonly dated thugs.  And he, an Auror with an ex-wife and kidlets. 

Well, ex-Auror.

She walked up Ed's garden path, side stepping a child's broom.  A toy bludger was bouncing around to her left in a juniper bush, tangled up and no longer a threat to even the tiniest of Chasers.

Niobe didn't knock, and she hadn't owled first.  But she did come bearing a gift.  The kind aged in oak barrels and served over ice.   Instead, she put her hand on the rustic handle and pressed down on the latch. 

CRACKLE! SNAP!

"Shit!" Niobe pulled her hand away and balled up her fist from the nasty shock.  She should have known that an Auror's house would have protection charms.  No doubt some alarm was going off inside.  There were lights on, someone was home.  She stepped away from the door a few paces as it opened, raising her hands up to shoulder height.  One palm open, the other clutching a stiff paper sack.

"Don't shoot."

The noise made Eddie energetically leap from the wooden chair at his desk to his feet.

Unfortunately the desk had been in the way. Ed’s thighs painfully slammed against hard wood and he groaned in discomfort as his household fortunately fought to maim him.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the knut in his trouser pocket burned red and hot and practically scorched the thigh that was already in pain. Apparently Ed’s security measures weren’t all that practical when put into actual practice.  Nevertheless, after several loud expletives had been violently released and the desk had been put in its place with a mighty thump, Ed pulled his wand from the holster he still wore around his hips and started very quickly and very cautiously out of the office and towards the front door, face red and scrunched up from an aversion to the noise and the burning pain in his thigh from his knut alert system.

It probably wasn’t anything. Just a kid coming to play with Noah or Natasha or one of Quincy’s friends that was wondering about her disappearance. Most of their close friends used to walk straight in. The Pratt family had always been very accommodating. But not when their lives were at risk.

Ed stepped over a toy left in the middle of the corridor and stepped up to the front door with caution. He pressed a spectacle covered eye to the peephole and instantly the scrunched up face relaxed into a simple confused yet suspicious frown.

Very quickly the door was tugged open and Ed stood in the doorway with a wand pointed directly at the witch’s chest. She may have looked like Nobby...
“Give me one reason not to.”

Even though Niobe had held up her hands as a joke, she kept them up out of a sudden need.  Ed Pratt had a wand leveled at her chest with a look of intense business time on his face.  Auror Mode suited him well - Niobe swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I bring booze...?" she tried, and then, "And I let you call me 'Nobby' and didn't shoot you...?"

Looking at Ed Pratt's face Niobe saw first hand that all was not well with the once jolly divorcee she'd gone on a blind date with.  Who'd happily hoisted her over the shoulder, and kept her from her kelpie kabobs.  Who'd bought a Headless Hat for his young son.  The wizard pointing a wand at her was a wizard on the raggedy edge.

“That’s two reasons.” The dry voice responded; thick northern brogue accentuating the huskiness thanks to a lack of recent use of his vocal chords. Bright green eyes shot from the witch’s face to the bag in her hand. That was right, every legally aged human being (both muggle and magic) on earth believed that alcohol was the answer to all issues. Ed had believed that until he’d come across troubles even a heavy, unhealthy dose of alcohol could temporarily erase from his mind.

Despite his wariness, Niobe made a good point. Who else expecting the delightful Frizzy knew that Ed had continually called his blind date Nobby, mainly to see if it resulted in any sort of reaction and afterwards because it had easily become habitual. “I’ve always been under the illusion that even daily prophet reporters can count, Nobby. But then, you do confuse the number of our mistakes far too often.” The weapon was slowly lowered and Ed stepped back from the door, continuing to hold it open so his unexpected visitor could gain entry into the small and cosy family cottage.

The house wasn’t exactly tidy. If Quincy had returned to it in this state she would have quite literally despaired. After having had to drag the family off as soon as the newest addition had been born, the small cottage hadn’t been tidied and it certain hadn’t been cleaned and dusted in well over a month. But it wasn’t Eddie’s job. This was no longer his home after him and Quincy had split for the second time.

“Come in then.” The ex-auror grunted as he waved his hand as an offer to enter.

Niobe released the breath she was holding now that Ed was lowering his wand, and forced a smile.  "Cheers," she said, hesitating just a moment before stepping past him over the threshold.

His little house was cluttered and a little out of sorts.  There were toys on the floor, dishes on sideboards, and clothes draped on the backs of chairs forgotten.  She looked around as she crept in and listened intently for some clue if Ed was home by himself or if his hereunto now mythological family was afoot.  Without hearing any other knocks or voices, Niobe made her way towards the kitchen and set down the paper bag on the counter.

"It's good to see you Ed.  You look frayed, mate. Raggedy."   She reached above her head and pulled down a mug hanging from a rack.  From the paper bag poured a clear liquid.  Instead of pouring another cup, or sliding the first one towards Ed, Niobe kept it in front of herself.

"I'm off duty," she revealed baldly. 

The wizard cautiously sidestepped the plastic  troll with it’s head pushed through the ceiling of the north tower of the Hogwarts model as he followed the dreadlocked reporter making a beeline for his kitchen while plainly insulting him. That woman definitely was Nobby Thursby and not some badly accented Irish imposter.

“Well you look all dreadlocked and...” Ed frowned, looking her up and down as he entered the kitchen. “Short.” He was tired, he was stressed and he could think of no better, more mature response.

Then she set about reaching down a mug and helping herself to a drink without offering her host a tipple. Ed cocked an eyebrow as he watched her, leaning against the kitchen table casually.

“Three reasons now, Nobby.” Pratt muttered as his visitor proclaimed being off duty. A very small smirk tugged insistently upon the corners of the recently very grouchy man’s lips. “I’m off duty as well.” The words were calmly spoken as a mug surreptitiously drifted down to flat lazily in front of her face, a sign from Merlin that she was required to share.

Niobe watched Ed as he made a sad attempt to spar with her, but she didn't hold it against him.  Instead she offered a weak smile and took the levitating cup out of the air gently and set it down on the countertop.   

"I am reasonable..." she offered back.

She poured him a few mouthfulls and scooted it forward.  When he claimed to be off duty, the topic of her intrution was introduced without her having to worry about doing it delicately.  Niobe had never been very good at delicate.  Perhaps that was why their odd blind date had gone so well - both of them were a couple of blunt objects pounding away.

"I know!" she said with a grim voice and bent up eyebrows.  "I heard, Ed.  That's why I'm here.  What are you doing? Were you sacked?"

She drank from her cup and let the burn-y liquid sit in her tummy.  Letting its intoxicating tendrils mark this occasion, swim through her veins carrying a kind of liquid peace and quiet.  In the right balance the alchemy of liquer was powerful.  Taming.

"Was it Rosier or Raynor?"

“Of course I weren’t bloody sacked, Nob!” The auror quickly ejaculated in response to her accusation. Completely unnecessary! Ed had always believed himself to be quite unsackable. He had pushed the boundaries hard with Raynor but he always did a good job in the end. He regularly flouted rules and had a low regard for authority yet he always got the job done. Ed may not have been an obedient auror, but he was a good one.

Or had been a good one.

After a quick calming breath, Ed stepped closer and took up the mug she’d poured into. “I resigned.”  The liquid flowed into his mouth and down his oesophagus leaving a much appreciated burning sensation.

“Rosier’s a twat. He hit a nerve and I resigned.” Pratt plainly stated, deciding to cut the long story short. If Nobby was still ‘on the record’ he was not giving her any more information that he figured was already well known. That Cameron Rosier was a twat.

“And I ent in the mood to give ye a statement or great gossip or owt to put in yer paper so if yer here for that, Nob, door’s back where ye came in.” He certainly wasn’t a friendly and open as the first time they’d met.

Niobe tried not to show that Ed's vehement protestations were intimidating, instead hiding her face behind another sip from her cup.  Nothing to do with Aurors or Level Two in general was, apparently, a docile affair.  No one left the Corps but by spellfire, figurative or otherwise.

"Resigned?" Niobe echoed, "because of Rosier?"  She didn't expect him to answer that, she was far to concerned with the implications that she'd leverage a personal visit for her career.  She resembled that implication...  She pursed her lips.  Even though he didn't know her well enough to know how typical of her that accusation was, she still resented it.  Mostly because it was totally believable.

She looked at him sideways, indirectly, a slightly sheepish look on.  "Stand down, Auror Pratt.  I'm not -"  she looked away, aware of her reputation.  "I'm not here for that, Ed.  I was concerned.  I know what's been happening to your people.  I'm not here for the Prophet."

Looking back at him.  He was pissed, he was defensive.  She'd intruded and he seemed to resent that. 

Green eyes unforgiving stared into hers as Ed lifted the mug to his lips once more, an attempt to calm the anger he’d felt build very quickly. The accusation he’d been sacked had smarted like a ten foot scorpion sting and the idea she’d visited him simply to gain an exciting story to feed her bosses and readers at the prophet had left the auror feeling pretty damn furious. Their first and only date had been fun, interesting. Yet Pratt still remembered how it had started. Niobe had been like all reporters and had tried taking advantage of being sat alone in a pub with an Auror, the fountain of all secret, potentially news breaking knowledge.

“My people?” The auror snapped, his voice breaking into an uncomfortable, harsh laugh. “Do ye mean my people? Close people, family? Or me ex-colleagues, Nobby? Cus according to the new head, what’s happening to each are too damn separate things. So why bother doin’ anything about it other than filing a few pointless reports?”

After glancing at Niobe properly a second time, Ed frowned. “I know ye won’t broadcast it, luv.” He muttered into the mug before shrugging. “After all, I didn’t see no headline readin’ ‘Auror undigifiedly kidnaps reporter over his shoulder’ after our first date.”

This wasn't a game. 

Ed had just made a joke, but Niobe didn't laugh.  She remembered other headlines.  Real headlines. Two Dead in Yorkshire.  Macduff Kidnaps Department of Mysteries Employee. Auror Protect Thyself.  Ministry people had been falling to Macduff's assault, and clearly there was more to this story than the reporter had caught onto.

She cast her eyes down again, regretting her brash curiosity.  Whatever was happening, Ed was still very much in the middle of it, and in no place to regard it objectively or have a chat about it.  Then, with a strange resolve, 'Nobby' drained her mug of liqueur and exhaled the sharp fumes.  Sometimes retreat wasn't an option.  To get to the bottom of things required going deeper than one thought was proper.

Looking him full up in the eyes, the scratchy, wrathful face, Niobe asked, "Don't you think you should have stayed? What's quitting going to solve?"

Niobe dared delve deeper, she dared press Ed’s buttons further and any softer expression he had had upon his features vanished, replaced by a harder scowl. Since the first threat had been uttered by Dugan MacDuff, Eddie Pratt had had plenty of time to perfect this particular scowl. It was the professional, well practiced and unrelenting scowl of an auror on the edge of losing it very badly. And it so happened that his dreadlocked mate with a house elf’s name was the recipient of the newly formed and well evolved scowl.

“What would you know, Nobby?” He snapped, slamming the mug on the surface beside the couple a little harder than intended. “Have you been in my position before? Have you, the nosy reporter with dreadlocked hair and silly Irish accent, had to tell your kids that you are responsible for the death of their grandparents?” Ed knew she hadn’t. Right then it felt like he was the only person in the whole damn world that had been thrown into this position.

“Resignin’” he stressed, reached a hand forward to grab the bottle of booze she’d brought with her daft questions. “is gonna solve a hellova lot more than sitting around waiting for that moron behind his moron’s desk to fill in his moron’s paperwork and finally tell me he doesn’t care because it doesn’t personally involve him.”

A shaky hand began to tip the bottle grasped between his fingers, letting the golden liquid flow into the mug. Obviously, the auror gave himself a much larger helping that he’d been given previously. As he poured, Ed spoke “Yer off duty, Nobby. So save the bloody interview questions for someone who wants to spill his guts to ye.” Because quite obviously that wasn’t what Edward Pratt was doing right now...

When Ed said that his parents had been killed, Niobe got a little stuck and her brain had to rush to keep up with the revelations.  Revelations that Rosier wasn't taking it seriously, that things were just getting worse.  That she wasn't as welcome as she thought she would be to ask after him, find out where he'd run off to in the thick of all this mess.  He was shouting, grabbing at her bottle. 

She was stunned silent, her face a sad sort of scowl, both embarrassed and indignant for it.  Arms crossed over her vest, Niobe watched as he poured himself a very large drink.  She was very aware of her sharp breathing in and out of her nose.  A dreadlock had fallen, singly, down over her face.  She hated that - it looked terribly dorky.

Taking the lock of hair into her fingers, she picked up up and tucked it back into the band holding them all back, allowing herself to shake her head in some sort of disdain. 

"So are you leaving...?" she asked with a gentler tone.  Somewhat patronizing.  "Going into hiding while the rest of us ... what? Sort this out for you?  Don't you make the second Auror to leave because of Macduff?  Whatever happened to Ackerly Fox?"

“Damn it woman!” The auror shouted; slamming his fist into the work surface to create a loud thud as blood ran to his previously pale, stubbly cheeks. The bright green eyes intensified as Ed scowled down at the woman that dared to question his motives, criticise his actions. It infuriated him that she suddenly believed she knew more than him; she knew what he was doing was wrong, that she’d voiced this.

Obviously Niobe was right. His quitting hadn’t solved anything but cause more unrest in the office. He had, as his alcohol bearing friend had stated, become the second auror to leave the ministry because of MacDuff. Niobe Thursby had hit the nail on the spot and Edward Pratt despised that very fact. He’d given away his badge on principle, a messed up, stupid principle distorted by anger and he’d been regretting it long before this canny reported had tried breaking into his family home.

The furious shouting continued. “I’m not bloody hidin’, woman!” The expletive resounded in Ed’s ears before he lifted the mug to his lips and took a very large gulp of whatever powerful brew it was this lovely nosy witch had brought with her. Once the mug was almost empty, Ed placed it back on the surface, turned on his heel and began to pace.

And the auror made it to the door before once more spinning and pointing at Niobe. “and don’t you dare compare me to Ackerly Fox!”

Merlin, what mental defect gave Niobe this stupid satisfaction, the satisfaction of sending powerful wizards into rages? What did she think was going to happen, pushing them to their limits? Did that make her more powerful? Did that make her better? What did that prove, harassing an already set-upon wizard like Pratt?   Whatever was wrong with Niobe Thursby, it was in full swing. 

Even with Ed in a fury, even knowing she'd over stepped, what Niobe felt wasn't remorse.  It was... stupid, shameful pride.  Godric's garters.

Yes, she'd stepped back when he shouted in her face and hit the table-top with his fist.  Yes, her her heartbeat had quickened, her body naturally worried about the raised voices and high tensions.  But she didn't flinch again, not even when he pointed at her.

"Fox was an arsehole, wasn't he..." she said, placidly.  Quietly.  Still with an air of condescension.  She looked up at Ed under provoking eyebrows.