milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Today is Wednesday.

Edmund starts work on Friday.

Bernard said he was to pick specials on his own.

He's fairly certain, having watched the other bartenders, that the specials ought to be somewhat original.

Which would be why Edmund has gone up to Bar and asked her a question quietly, and was not entirely surprised to get a very large book as an answer.

Also a pot of tea, because one can never go wrong with tea.

He takes his new acquisitions over to one of the couches, and makes himself comfortable.

It's a big book.

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"If you wanted any more help watching him."

"Oh. Well, the thought is appreciated, anyway." Faith grins. "Susan's probably glad she won't need the knife I gave her."

Edmund blinks, and raises an eyebrow.

"You gave her a knife?"

Faith nods.

"Yeah, and taught her the basics of using it, just in case."

"-- what did he do, Faith, that none of you trust him to such an extent?"

Faith's expression darkens.

"He mind-raped Bar, and by extension, Bernard."

Edmund stares.

"--and someone thought that community service was the answer?"

"He did cell time too," Faith says. "And his wand's been taken away."

"I see," says he.

It would appear that he doesn't quite think that's enough.

But he doesn't say anything more.

Faith shrugs slightly.

"Hey, if it was up to me they'd shuck him back out the doors and into the prison he came here from."

"Why don't they, then?"

Faith shrugs.

"I guess because, y'know, redemption, second chances, all of that."

"If he was in some sort of prison, came here, and did something like that... isn't that his second chance there?"

Edmund shakes his head.

"I'm sorry. It's not my place to say."

Faith shrugs, slightly.

"It's not mine, either."

"Well."

He smiles, a little, and it's only a little bit forced, fading to something more natural after a moment.

"Could I get you a cup of tea, or something, Faith?"

Faith grins.

"No, thanks. I don't have a tab anymore, no point in you buying me stuff when I eat free."

He raises an eyebrow.

"How'd you manage that? And I could at least fetch you a cup of tea."

Faith sighs.

"D'you know Bernard's fiancée, Tonks?"

He waves a hand back and forth in a "so-so" gesture. "I know of her, but I don't believe I've had the chance to actually meet her. Kitty knows her."

"OK...well, she and somebody else from her world who also comes here were captured and held by Dark Wizards. Like Crouch, actually, they're from the same world. Anyway, there was a rescue mission, and everybody who went, apparently, hasn't got a tab anymore."

Edmund blinks, several times.

"-- where have I been, with all these things happening? You people must save all the interesting things for while I'm in the stables or the House of Arch, or something."

Faith snorts.

"Yeah, we schedule the capture and near-death of pregnant women just to aggravate you."

"-- and that's something else I didn't know."

Edmund sits back on the couch, reaching for his tea again, and shakes his head.

"I must be living under a rock somehow."

"They weren't telling people for a while," Faith says with a shrug. "It wasn't public knowledge until pretty recently."

"Huh," says he, and after a moment shrugs. "I suppose I should make a point of telling them congratulations when I see them, then."