#dec 78

April was so full of the giddy high of success, she could choke on it. The joy — and, all right, the two shots she’d already done — was so potent that her grin didn’t even waver when her gaze fell upon Sturgis. “Congratulations are in order to you too,” she said, sidling up to him.

Bertie couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As soon as he’d left Clem, for what may be the last time, he was weaving his way through the crowd in an attempt to get to the apparation point as quickly as he could. Muttered apologies to those he knocked into, when he didn’t really care. He just wanted to get home. But it seemed like the universe had other ideas when he heard someone calling his name. He took a breath, steeled himself and turned. “Hey.”

“Barty.”