𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

bio

           she   was   near   doubled   over   in   silent   laughter   by   the   time   gus   finally   called   it   quits   and   threw   in   the   towel   .     he’d   been   so   focused   on   his   hands   the   entire   time   he   hadn’t   quite   noticed   that   all   the   while   she’d   been   assembling   a   small   pile   of   change   from   the   register   ,      a   reference   for   him   to   copy   from   .      ❝     is   this   a   white   flag   ?     or   just   a   ceasefire   ?      ❞     tess   asked   as   she   slid   the   glass   over   to   him   .      ❝      i   think   you   almost   had   it   there   in   the   end      ❞

        tonight   was   a   quieter   night   ,      as   so   many   of   them   had   been   since   the   horrible   news   about   the   tufts   had   broken   ,     and   yet   still   it   seemed   tonight   that   every   regular   in   hogsmeade      and   more   than   a   few   irregulars      had   turned   out   tonight   ,     just   no   visitors   .      and   tess   wasn’t   quite   sure   if   it   was   a   collective   decision   to   thumb   their   nose   at   you-know-who   or   if   the   typical   scottish   love   of   drink   had   won   out   over   fear   .   and   even   as   she   grinned   and   danced   her   way   through   all   that   hubbub   ,        greeting   folks   she   had   seen   just   the   night   before   and   one’s   she   hadn’t   seen   in   weeks   ,   there   was   a   face   in   amongst   it   all   that   brought   out   her   special   smile   —   just   for   him   .      it   took   a   good   ten   minutes   from   when   she   spotted   him   till   she   was   finally   able   to   fight   her   way   through   to   his   table   ,      pressing   a   kiss   to   his   hair   as   she   wrapped   an   arm   around   him   from   behind   .      ❝      i   thought   you   were   banned   ❞      she   joked   .

     ❝      i   think   it’s   perfectly   normal   for   that   to   happen   ,      arthur   .     just   like   it’s   perfectly   normal   ,      and   more   than   a   little   funny   ,      to   see   just   how   frazzled   she   seems   to   have   you   just   by   you   thinking   of   her   .      it   would   be   too   much   to   think   any   girl   could   render   you   speechless      ❞     she   teased   as   she   set   about   fixing   them   both   a   cup   of   tea   ,      tess   had   spent   the   night   over   and   it   seemed   no   one   but   her   and   arthur   were   up   yet   .      ❝      so…   you   can’t   tell   me   all   this   without   telling   me   who   the   lucky   lady   is      ❞

           a   little   laugh   escaped   her   lips   as   the   very   inebriated   customer   eventually   snuck   off   ,     tail   between   his   legs   ,      not   off   home   if   she   was   asked   to   put   money   on   it   ,     probably   off   to   the   hog’s   head   inn   .      he   could   be   aberforth’s   problem   then   .      ❝     i’d   almost   say   babysitting   would   be   easier   than   this   ?      i   think   even   toddlers   begin   to   get   the   concept   that   no   means   no   eventually   .      and   there’s   probably   a   lot   less   sick   involved      ❞

           if   there   was   one   thing   esther   had   had   a   much   too   close   run   with   it   was   freezing   in   the   face   of   conflict   ,      of   course   her   own   run   in   had   been   a   considerably   more   literal   one   but   still   her   heart   went   out   to   the   brunette   .      ❝      well   you   can't   take   all   the   blame   ,     someone   clearly   woke   up   on   the   wrong   side   of   the   bed   this   morning   and   make   it   everyone   else's   problem      ❞

           ❝      oh   not   always   ,      friday   nights   like   this   ?      its   usually   busier   ,     you   really   lucked   out   .      this   is   practically   deserted   by   comparison      ❞           she   laughed   with   a   glance   about   the   place   ,      it   really   was   a   lot   quieter   than   usual      —      just   like   it   had   been   every   night   since   the   news   about   the   tufts   had   broken   .      ❝     you've   got   to   give   them   a   challenge   ,      make   it   their   fault   you   have   to   cut   them   off   ,      you   gave   them   a   chance   but   they   couldn't      ❞

           ❝      my   message   ?      ❞      she   was   like   a   deer   in   the   headlights   ,      frozen   and   struggling   to   even   assemble   a   coherent   thought   about   what      lia      aurelia   was   saying   .      ❝      i   think   something   was   lost   in   translation   ,      there   was   just   a   spot   of   graffiti   but   given   what   it   was   …     well   all   the   guidance   says   to   report   everything      ❞

           stopping   by   to   meet   an   old   friend   for   lunch   ,      tess   soon   found   her   feet   retracing   familiar   paths   to   her   old   smoking   spot   from   two   years   past   ,     stopping   in   her   tracks   as   she   found   someone   else   there   .      ❝     mind   a   bit   of   company   ?      ❞     she   asked   with   a   curious   tilt   to   her   head   as   she   reached   into   her   pocket   .      ❝     i   don't   blame   you   if   you'd   rather   the   quiet     ❞

           it   was   hard   to   stiffle   her   laugh   as   she   watched   gus   ,   half   slumped   against   the   bar   ,      assembling   a   sentence   —   letter   by   letter   —   in   his   head   .         ❝      and   where   might   i   have   heard   that   before   ?      ❞      she   teased   ,      turning   for   a   moment   to   clear   the   empty   cups   and   bottles   that   had   collected   around   them   away   .      ❝     tell   you   what   :      if   you   can   order   and   give   me   the   exact   amount   in   knuts   only   ?      well   then   you   must   still   be   sober   .      and   i   have   no   reason   to   stop   serving   you   till   you   stop   paying     ❞

           esther   had   been   watching   the   whole   affair   with   a   rather   sympathetic   look   on   her   face   ,      diagon   alley   was   packed   today   and   it   seemed   the   unfortunate   wix   before   her   had   been   caught   in   the   crosshairs   of   another   who   had   some   place   to   be   a   good   five   minutes   ago   .      ❝      if   i'm   not   too   forward   to   offer   some   advice   ?     stick   to   the   left   ,      that   tends   to   avoid   the   little   dance   of   confusion   and   the   grumps      ❞

           it   sometimes   felt   a   bit   weird   to   tess   ,      to   drink   where   she   worked   ,     hanging   up   her   apron   and   taking   a   seat   in   the   back   didn’t   seem   to   make   much   of   a   difference   to   some   of   the   patrons   when   they   were   deep   in   their   cups   .      now   most   of   the   time   she   didn’t   mind   it   too   much   ,      but   others   ?      well   ,      the   hogs   head   was   only   a   few   minutes   away   .      ❝      honestly   ?      i   don’t   think   it’s   a   regular   menu   item   ,      i   remember   hearing   someone   say   they’d   got   aberforth   a   few   bottles   for   his   christmas   ,      or   something   like   that      ❞

              ❝      look   pal   ,      i   get   all   that   but   unless   you   can   calmly   explain   to   me   how   you’re   not   five   minutes   away   from   being   slumped   on   the   bar   i’m   going   to   have   to   cut   you   off   .     landlady's   orders   and   all   that     ❞

           ❝      i’d   like   to   think   so   ?     but   then   i’d   be   lying   .      i’m   sure   billy   would   tell   you   i   can   be   a   bit   of   a   blabbermouth      ❞